crécerelle

kestrel (any of various birds of prey)

Related: faucon crécerelle

From Middle French cresserelle, crecerelle (“bird of prey”), usually assumed to be from crecelle (“rattle, wooden reel”) (modern crécelle), of obscure origin. Cognates possibly include: Medieval Latin clisterella f, English kestrel, Neapolitan castariello m and crestariello m, all sharing the same meaning. Derivation from the assumed *Vulgar Latin crepicella, *crepitacillum, a diminutive of crepitāculum, from crepitāre (“to crackle”) is difficult to explain from a morphological point of view. In