Now chiefly north. and Sc. Forms: α. 4–6 sperlyng(e, -linge, 4–6, 8–9 sperling. β. 5–6 sparlynge, 6 -lyng, 6– sparling, 7 sparlin. [ad. OF. esperlinge (later esperlan, mod.F. éperlan), of Teutonic origin, = MDu. and MLG. spirlinc, LG. and G. spierling (also G. and Du. spiering). Cf. SPIRLING and SPURLING.]
1. The common European smelt, Osmerus eperlanus. (Used either as a generic or collective name, or of single fish.)
α. 1307–8. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 3. In … ccc sperlinges.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 136. Riht als sturioun etes merling, And lobbekeling etes sperling.
a. 1377. Abingdon Rolls (Camden), 38. In sperlyng xiijs. xjd.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 54. Smalle fysshe þou take Þer with, als trouȝte, sperlynges and menwus withal.
1489. Churchw. Acc. Walberswick, Suffolk (Nicholls, 1797), 183. The sed 2 men to gef a rekenynge of the heryngs and sperlinges.
1500. Maldon (Essex) Crt. Rolls Bundle 59, No. 2 b. Per iii barell. heryng, iii cad. heryng, et ii meyse sperling.
a. 1536. Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.), 114. Whan … sperlyngis rone with speris in harnes to defence.
1587. Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 43. A querter of a freshe samonde and foure salte ielles iijs; sperlinges iijd. Ibid. (1596–7), 108. Sperlynges.
1754. T. Gardner, Hist. Dunwich, 145. Fishing-Boats for full and shotten Herrings, Sperlings, or Sprats.
a. 1869. C. Spence, From Braes of Carse (1898), 52. Ye catch a sperling, and I catch a fluke.
β. 14[?]. Lat.-Eng. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 609. Sardallus, a sparlynge.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 833, in Babees Book (1868), 163. Salt fysche, salt Congur, samoun, with sparlynge.
1517. Sel. Cases Star Chamb. (Selden), II. 120. Thomas … came with … ixe last of heryng … and iiij last of Sparlyng.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. v. 330. The gilden Sparlings, when cold Winter’s blast Begins to threat, themselves together cast.
1651. in W. M. Myddelton, Chirk Castle Acc. (1908), 34. For sparlings & other fish at Chester.
1653. W. Lauson, Comm. Dennys’ Secrets Angling, II. No. 17, n. [The gudgeon] is a dainty fish, like, or neere as good as the Sparlin.
1782. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2), IX. 6934. Smelts are often sold in the streets of London split and dried. They are called dried sparlings.
1793. Statist. Acc. Scotl., VII. 54. The smelt or sparling, a very rare fish, is also found in the Cree.
1804. Galloway, Poems, 73. While Forth yields her sa’mon and sparling.
1886. Field, 23 Jan., 105/3. The fine net … was used for sparling, eels, &c.
† b. fig. As a term of endearment. Obs.–1
1570. Wit & Science (1848), 38. I wylbe bolde wyth my nowne darlyng, Cum now, a bas, my nowne proper sparlyng.
2. Applied to other small fish: † a. The sprat, Clupea sprattus. Obs.
1740. R. Brookes, Art of Angling, II. xxxvii. 153. Of the Sprat or Sparling. A Sprat is so like a Herring in every Particular, that [etc.].
b. U.S. A young or immature herring.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 550. Certain local names for the Herring which … designate certain conditions and ages. To this class belongs the name ‘Sperling,’ employed by our own fishermen of Cape Ann to denote the young Herrings.
1888. Earll, in Goode, Amer. Fishes, 342. The pasture school remained within a few miles of a large school of sperling without being drawn after them.
3. attrib. and Comb., as sparling-boat, fishing, etc.; † sparling-fisher, -fowl, the (female) goosander, Mergus merganser.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 333. The Dun-Diver or Sparlin-fowl: Merganser fœmina.
1700. C. Leigh, Nat. Hist. Lancs., etc. I. 161. The Sparling-Fisher…is about the Bigness of a Duck, and by a wonderful Activity in Diving catches its Prey.
1710. Sibbald, Hist. Fife, II. 49. The Female of it [sc. goosander] is by some thought to be the Mergus Cinereus, the Sparling-Fowl.
1754. T. Gardner, Hist. Dunwich, 20. Each Sperling-Boat, five shillings on presenting Days.
1902. Stirling Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. Jrnl., 29. The sparling is one of the fishes of the Forth, and sparling fishing is still prosecuted in the river.
