sparling

The story

1. Old French · derived fromesperlinge
2. Middle English · inherited fromsperlynge
3. English todaysparling

From Middle English sperlynge, shortened from Old French esperlinge, a Germanic borrowing, found in German Spiering, Spierling, Middle Low German spirling, Middle Dutch spierling, suffixed from the word now Dutch spier (“spar, pole; muscle”). See also sparrow for a homonymic bird-name.