Martin

How to spell martin

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce martin

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does martin mean?

1. nounA small migratory bird of the swallow family, noted for nesting under eaves and on cliffs.

Martin in a sentence

• A martin built its mud nest under the gutter every spring.

• The birdwatcher noted a single house martin skimming low over the pond.

Where does martin come from?

Language of origin: French

Martin, the small swallow-like bird, takes its name from the common personal name Martin, which itself goes back to the Latin Martinus, meaning 'of Mars', the Roman god of war. Birds were sometimes given familiar human names in older European folk speech, much as a robin or a magpie acquired its label, and the martin was so christened in French before passing into English in the late fourteenth century. One traditional explanation links the name to St Martin's Day in mid November, around the time these migratory birds were noticed departing for warmer climates. The species names that survive today, such as the house martin and the sand martin, all preserve this borrowed personal name. Because the word is spelled exactly like the everyday given name, the spelling is straightforward and rarely trips up an adult writer.

How the word is built

• martin (from the personal name Martin, ultimately Latin Martinus, of Mars)