härfågel

Swedish

Etymology

Just like its Latin (Upupa) and English names (hoopoe), the Swedish name originates from the sound of the bird, interpreted as "Upp! Upp! Upp! Ut! Ut!" (up, up, up, out, out), a sign of bad times of war and starvation. This gave the bird the name of oäringsfågel already in Medieval times, which later has turned into härfågel. Oäring being the negation (o-) of äring, a good year's harvest.[1]

Noun

härfågel c

  1. a hoopoe, the bird Upupa epops

Declension
Declension of härfågel 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative härfågel härfågeln härfåglar härfåglarna
Genitive härfågels härfågelns härfåglars härfåglarnas

References
  1. U-äring: o-ärings-fógel in Johan Ernst Rietz, Svenskt dialektlexikon (1862–1867)

Further reading
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