The Attic Bird
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The nightingale; so called either because Philomel was the daughter of the King of Athens, or because of the great abundance of nightingales in Attica.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Attic Bird” mean?
The nightingale; so called either because Philomel was the daughter of the King of Athens, or because of the great abundance of nightingales in Attica.
Is “The Attic Bird” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.