chantwell

The story

1. French · derived fromchanterelle“female bird used by hunters as a decoy to attract other birds; treble string of a musical instrument”
2. English todaychantwell

Probably from French chanterelle (“female bird used by hunters as a decoy to attract other birds; treble string of a musical instrument”), from chanter (“to sing, crow”) + -erelle (variant of -elle (suffix forming feminine nouns, often with a diminutive sense)).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 20th c. A (generally female) lead singer of traditional cariso music, or of a calypso band.