diederik, noun

Forms:
didric, diederickShow more Also didric, diederick, diedric, diedrick, diedrik, and with initial capital.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more South African Dutch adaptation of F. le Vaillant’s onomatopoeic name for the bird, didric.
In full diederik cuckoo, occasionally also diederiks cuckoo: the metallic green cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius of the Cuculidae.
1790 tr. of F. Le Vaillant’s Trav. I. 347The green-golden cuckoo of the Cape..continually repeats, and with a varied modulation, these syllables, di, di, didric, as distinctly as I have written them; for this reason I have named it the didric.
c1808 F. Le Vaillant in C. von Linné System of Nat. Hist. VIII. 237Means of studying the didric cuckoo have not been wanting to me.
1853 Edin. New Philos. Jrnl (U.K.) LV. 82The pretty notes of the..diedrick further enliven the growing day.
1867 E.L. Layard Birds of S. Afr. 250This beautiful little cuckoo, known by the name of ‘Didric’,..is extremely abundant throughout the Karroo.
1908 Haagner & Ivy Sketches of S. Afr. Bird-Life 169The Didric..is metallic-green with coppery reflections above.
1923 Haagner & Ivy Sketches of S. Afr. Bird-LifeThe Diedric..derives its trivial name from its loud plaintive cry.
1939 S. Cloete Watch for Dawn 114He loved the hot..silence of the day that was broken only by the intermittent calls of michi and diedrik.
1948 A.C. White Call of Bushveld 259The Diederik is commonly spoken of as the bronze cuckoo. It is, of course, a migratory bird.
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 248The diederick is a cuckoo. It hatches among sparrows. Its foster parents do their best for it, but..inevitably they lose patience and drive it from their nest.
1982 S. Afr. Panorama Sept. 48The iridescent, green Diederiks cuckoo is a particularly brilliant Bushveld bird.
In full diederik cuckoo, occasionally also diederiks cuckoo:the metallic green cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius of the Cuculidae.
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