Now dial. Forms: 6–7 witwol, 6–8 witwal, 8–9 whitwall, 6– witwall. [a. early mod.G. † wittewal(e, also † weidewal (Gesner), now widewal, wiedewal; = MLG. weddewale, early Flem. widewael (Kilian). Cf. WOODWALL.]

1

  † 1.  The Golden Oriole, Oriolus galbula. Obs.

2

1544.  Turner, Avium Præcip., I 7. Χλωρίον, uireo,… Anglicè a uutuuol, Germanicè eyn witwol, oder eyn weidwail.

3

1601, 1658, 1676.  [see LORIOT].

4

1671.  H. M., trans. Erasm. Colloq., 514. But one can hardly guess for what reason the … Raven and the Witwal [L. chlorio] … hate one the other.

5

1678.  Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 198. The Witwall, as it is by some called, Galbula seu Picus nidum suspendens.

6

  2.  The Green Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis) or the Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major).

7

1668.  Charleton, Onomast., 86. Picus viridis … the Hickwall, Witwall, or Green-Wood-pecker.

8

1678.  Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 137. The greater spotted Woodpecker or Witwall.

9

1844.  Hood, Haunted House, I. 62. The ringing of the Whitwall’s shrilly laughter.

10