Hummingbirds are beautiful, tiny birds that have captured people’s imaginations for centuries. Their ability to hover mid-air and fly backwards sets them apart from other birds. Hummingbirds exist only in the Americas, but people across Europe have long been fascinated by their unique abilities. This had led to hummingbirds being given names in many languages, including French.
The French Word for Hummingbird
The French word for hummingbird is “colibri”. This word was borrowed into French in the 16th century from the Caribbean Taino and Arawakan languages. In those languages, “kolibri” was the name used for hummingbirds. Early French explorers and settlers in the Americas adopted this word to refer to the tiny, nectar-feeding birds they encountered.
The first recorded use of “colibri” in French was in 1557. It was used in a report by French explorer André Thevet. He wrote about the magnificent hummingbirds he saw in Brazil during his expeditions to the New World. When French scientists first described hummingbirds scientifically in the 18th century, they used the colibri name as well.
Today colibri remains the standard French word for any of the 300+ species of hummingbirds. From the common names of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Colibri à gorge rubis) and the Rufous Hummingbird (Colibri roux) to the Black-chinned Hummingbird (Colibri à menton noir), they are all colibris in French.
Etymology and Meaning
The French word colibri comes directly from the Caribbean Taino word kolibri. In Taino and related Arawakan languages, the kolibri name is imitative of the humming sound the birds make with their rapidly beating wings. Their wings can beat up to 80 times per second, creating a persistent humming or buzzing while the bird is in flight.
Mimicking this sound is likely how many cultures came up with names for hummingbirds. In Mexico, hummingbirds were called huitzilin in the Aztec Nahuatl language. In Spanish, they became chuparrosa (“rose sucker”) and picaflor (“flower piercer”). The English word “hummingbird” first appeared in print in the late 16th century and also derives from the humming sound of their wings.
So like their names in many other languages, the Taino word kolibri and the French word colibri are onomatopoeic. They phonetically mimic the murmuring buzz of the rapid wing beats that enable hummingbirds to fly forwards, backwards, upside down, and float in midair – their most characteristic behavior.
Hummingbirds in French Culture
Despite their small size, hummingbirds often take on symbolic importance in the cultures they are native to. The Aztecs associated hummingbirds with vigor, energy, and even resurrection. To the Taino, they embodied lightness and swiftness. In French culture, hummingbirds have been adopted as representing many positive qualities.
France never had native hummingbirds, as the birds only occur naturally in the Americas. But tales of their delicate beauty and energetic flight brought back by French explorers gave the birds an air of mystery and allure. Hummingbirds became symbols of lightness, dexterity, and rapidity in 18th and 19th century French literature.
French artists like Édouard Traviès featured hummingbirds in illustrations that highlighted their speed and their association with flowers. French author Anatole France wrote a short story called “The Hummingbird” in 1909, using the creature as central motif representing freedom and essential life energy.
Today, images of hummingbirds continue to be used in French culture to symbolize fleetness, liveliness, and wonder. Their unique attributes and exotic origins from a distant land have solidified France’s affection for les colibris.
Notable French Hummingbird Names
There are over 100 species of hummingbirds that have been identified and named. Here are some of the more spectacular types and their common French names:
Le Colibri coruscant
This is the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, native to Central America. In French its name highlights the flashy, brilliant red color of the male’s throat.
Le Colibri émeraude
This is the magnificent Green-tailed Emerald Hummingbird of South America and the Caribbean. Émeraude is French for “emerald,” referencing its vibrant green plumage.
L’Ensifère à queue violette
This is the Ecuadorian Hillstar Hummingbird, named in French for its exceptionally long, curved bill and violet-colored tail.
Le Colibri doré
Also called the Coppery-headed Emerald, this hummingbird of Colombia and Ecuador gets its French name from its brilliant golden-coppery colored head and neck plumage.
Le Colibri à queue large
This is the Red-tailed Comet, a hummingbird of Mexico and the southwestern United States distinguished by its wide, forked tail.
The creativity and elegance of these French names captures some of allure that has made hummingbirds so captivating to French speakers and writers.
French Hummingbird Names in Science and Classification
In addition to their common names in French, every hummingbird species also has a two-part Latin scientific name. This name is universal, used by scientists around the world as the definitive label for each species.
For example, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird’s full scientific name is Panterpe insignis. This two-word name identifies the bird’s genus and species in Latin. It enables clear communication between scientists internationally regardless of their spoken languages.
Here are some more examples of French hummingbirds and their scientific names:
| Common French Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Colibri à queue large | Selasphorus rufus |
| Colibri doré | Hylocharis eliciae |
| Colibri émeraude | Chlorostilbon mellisugus |
| Ensifère à queue violette | Coeligena lutetiae |
These scientific names allow French speaking scientists to collaborate with English, Spanish, and other international researchers when studying, classifying, and writing about hummingbirds.
Notable French Scientists Who Studied Hummingbirds
While hummingbirds are not native to France, French scientists and researchers have contributed enormously to the understanding of these birds. Here are a few key French figures in hummingbird science and classification:
René Primevère Lesson (1794–1849)
Lesson was a French surgeon, naturalist, and ornithologist. He studied the wildlife of various colonies and overseas expeditions. Lesson was the first scientist to describe new hummingbird species endemic to Mexico like the Berylline Hummingbird (Colibri béryllin) and the Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Colibri à couronne violette).
Louis Pierre Vieillot (1748–1830)
Vieillot was a French ornithologist who gave the first scientific descriptions of new hummingbird species from the West Indies and Central and South America. Examples of species he documented include the Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) and the Plovercrest (Orthorhyncus cyanolaemus).
Eugène Simon (1848-1924)
Simon was a French arachnologist who made major contributions to the study of hummingbirds and their taxonomy. He published new descriptions of species such as the Bronzy Inca (Coeligena coeligena) of South America and the Violet Sabrewing Hummingbird (Campylopterus hemileucurus).
Jacques Pucheran (1817–1895)
Pucheran was a French zoologist who authored some of the earliest detailed scientific descriptions of unusual hummingbird species found across Central and South America. His species accounts included the Horned Sungem (Heliactin cornuta), the Violet-headed Hummingbird (Klais guimeti), and many others.
These pioneering scientists advanced the study of hummingbirds and amassed critical knowledge during a time when specimens and data from the New World were still scarce in Europe. Their work brought greater awareness of hummingbirds to French academics and the public.
Summary
So in summary, the French word for hummingbird is colibri. This elegant word was borrowed from Caribbean indigenous languages into French during the colonial era. French explorers returned with stories of these captivating New World birds that could fly like no other creature. The hummingbird’s diminutive size yet dynamic vigor and appeal soon made it a favorite in French literature and art.
French scientists studied hummingbirds extensively and contributed many important early descriptions of new species. While native only to the Americas, the hummingbird holds a special place in French language and culture as the colibri, representing delight, energy, and wonder.
