Etymology

Related to Latvian zvirbulis ‎(“sparrow”), Polish wróbel, Slovene vrábelj < Proto-Slavic *vorbъlь, *vorbьjь ‎(“sparrow”). Akin to Proto-Indo-European *(s)werbʰ- +‎ -ulis. The o-grade in the Slavic forms is reflected in žvarbus ‎(“sharp, piercing”). The initial ž- can be identified with an original s-mobile, with later assimilation to the following -v-, compare Serbo-Croatian srābȁc, Bulgarian dialectal шво́роб ‎(švórob); compare also Proto-Slavic *svȏrbъ ‎(“itch”), Russian сво́роб ‎(svórob), Slovene srȃb ‎(“scabies”). Alternatively, the ž- may have appeared by analogy with žvyrė ‎(“ptarmigan”), Latvian dialectal žvīgurs ‎(“sparrow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒvʲɪ͡rbʲ.lʲɪs/