covey

Definition

A brood or family of partridges (family Phasianidae), which includes game birds such as grouse (tribe Tetraonini) and ptarmigans (tribe Tetraonini, genus Lagopus).

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English covei, covey (“brood of partridges, covey; volley of shot; kind of gun”) [and other forms], from Old French covée (“brood (of chickens), clutch”) (modern French couvée), a noun use of the feminine past participle of cover (“to brood (an egg)”) (modern French couver), from Latin cubāre, the present active infinitive of cubō (“to lie down, recline; to incubate; to be broody”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- (“to lie down”). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates French couvée (“brood (of chickens), clutch”), couver (“to brood (an egg)”) Italian covata (“brood, clutch, covey, hatch”), covare (“to brood or incubate (an egg)”)

Example Sentences

• "But, loa, with a ſuddeyn fluſhing thee galligut Harpeys / From mountayns flitter, with gaggling whirlerye flapping / Their wings: […] This coouie rauenouſe, and ſwift with a deſperat onſet, / They gripte in tallants the meat, and foorth ſpourged a ſtincking / Foule carrayne fauoure: […]"
• "[S]o leacherous they [female partridges] are, that ſetting aſide the naturall affection and love to their young covie, vvhen they are broodie, […] yet if they hear once the Foulers chanterell comming tovvard the male, and that he doth call, preſently they vvill leave the neſt and ſuffer the egs to chill, and for very jealouſie crie again and call back the males, and offer themſelves to be troden, for feare they vvould goe to others. […] And all this doth ſhe to amuſe the Fouler after her, untill ſhe have trained him a contrarie vvay from the covey. Novv by that time that ſhee is paſt that feare, and freed of the motherly care ſhe had of her young ones, than vvill ſhee get into the furrovv of ſome land, lie along her backe, catch a clot of earth up vvith her feet, and therevvith hide her vvhole bodie, and ſo have both her ſelfe and her couvey."
• "[A]s for the partridges vvhen they be laid for by the fovvler, together vvith their covin of young birds, they ſuffer them to flie avvay as vvell as they can, and make ſhift to ſave themſelves, but the old rovvens full ſubtilly ſeeme to vvait the comming of the ſaid hunters, abiding untill they approch neere unto them, and by keeping about their feet, traine them ſtill avvay after them, ready ever as it vvere to be caught; […] thus they play mock-holiday vvith the fovvlers, and yet vvith ſome danger to themſelves for the ſafetie of their young, untill they have trained them a great vvay off, vvho ſought for their lives."

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