The word “quail” has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a type of small game bird in the pheasant family that is hunted as sport and used for food. The second meaning refers to feeling fear or losing courage. In this article, we will explore both meanings of “quail” in more detail.
Meaning 1: A Type of Game Bird
The most common meaning of “quail” refers to a group of small, plump birds in the Phasianidae family of game birds. There are several different species of quail found worldwide, with the most common being:
- Common quail (Coturnix coturnix)
- Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)
- California quail (Callipepla californica)
- Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii)
- Mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus)
- Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)
- Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)
Some key facts about quail in the game bird sense:
- They are small, plump birds ranging from 6-13 inches long.
- They have rounded bodies, short wings, and short tails.
- Plumage varies by species but generally consists of brown, black, white, gray, and buff markings.
- They inhabit various ecosystems including woodlands, grasslands, deserts, and scrublands.
- They eat seeds, leaves, and insects.
- They nest on the ground and have high reproductive rates.
- Some species migrate while others are year-round residents.
- The main threats are habitat loss and predators.
- They are hunted as game birds using dogs or flushed out into nets.
- Their meat is considered delicate and tender.
- Popular for dishes like roasted quail, quail eggs, and quail stew.
The most widespread and numerous quail species in North America is the Northern bobwhite quail. It inhabits fields, open woodlands, and brushy areas from the Midwest to the Eastern seaboard. Bobwhite quail gather in coveys of 10-20 birds outside of breeding season. They produce flutelike whistling calls, most famously “bob-white.”
Other common North American species include California quail, Gambel’s quail, and mountain quail. California quail live in coveys of 50+ birds in the western US and Mexico. The males have distinctive head plumes. Gambel’s quail occupy arid regions of the southwest US. The males have a black head with a curving head plume. Mountain quail live in mountainous areas of the northwest. They have stocky, rounded bodies with a short black head plume.
Overall, quail represent an ecologically diverse and economically important group of game birds. They serve as a food source and recreational hunting quarry as well as helping regulate insect populations and disperse seeds. Protecting quail habitats helps support these valuable birds.
Meaning 2: To Cower in Fear
The second common meaning of “quail” is to feel afraid or to lose courage and give up in the face of difficulty. As a verb, “to quail” means to cower, shudder, or shrink back when scared. It implies a loss of bravery or fortitude when confronted with an intimidating situation.
This usage emerged in the 16th century, possibly derived from the trembling motions and characteristic wariness of quail and other related gamebirds. Here are some examples of how “quail” is used in this sense:
- The soldiers began to quail as the enemy approached.
- When challenged, he quailed under the pressure.
- She wanted to stand up for herself but quailed at the thought of speaking in public.
- When faced with the growling dog, the cat quailed in fear.
- The knight swore he would never quail before an enemy.
Related words that convey a similar meaning include cower, wilt, blanch, waver, and recoil. The noun form “quailing” also expresses the action of quivering or shrinking away from something frightening.
This meaning of quail typically has a negative connotation of excessive fear, weakness, or cowardice in the face of adversity. However, it can also indicate a more understandable hesitancy when confronted by clear and present danger. Regardless, it signifies a failure of bravery or confidence when the situation demands it.
Origin and History
The word “quail” has been used in English since around 1300 and derives from the Middle English “quaille.” In turn, this originated from the Old French word “quaille” referring to the bird species. The exact etymology is unclear, but may be related to Latin “coagulare” meaning “to curdle or congeal,” potentially referring to the bird’s curdled muted plumage.
As early as the 1600s, the word was being used figuratively to indicate shrinking back in fear, building on the timid and easily flushed nature of quail. This figurative sense grew in usage over the 17th and 18th centuries.
The gamebird meaning has remained dominant, however, and continues to refer specifically to the Coturnix and related genera in the Phasianidae family. Today, both meanings are widely established in English with “quail” as a bird and “quail” as cowardice representing two distinct definitions.
Cultural Significance
Quail hold cultural significance in multiple ways, both as a gamebird and metaphor for fearfulness.
Significance as Gamebirds
Evidence suggests quail were among the first bird species domesticated, raised for food and sport dating back thousands of years:
- Egyptians captured quail as early as the 16th century BCE.
- Ancient Greeks and Romans hunted quail, valuing them as a delicacy.
- Quail fights were a popular form of entertainment in medieval Europe.
- Elite restaurants still serve quail as a specialty dish today.
- They remain a popular game bird for hunting in many parts of Europe, America, and the Middle East.
The bobwhite quail is particularly iconic, serving as the state bird of several southern US states including Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Missouri. Their signature “bob-white” whistle has come to represent rural country life in the region. Quail hunting has bound together generations of hunters who see it as upholding tradition.
Symbol of Fearfulness
The metaphorical sense of quailing has taken on its own cultural significance. Quailing or cowardice in the face of fear is a recurring theme across many myths, legends, and stories:
- In Arthurian legend, Sir Gawain struggles between bravery and quailing when facing the Green Knight.
- The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz cannot overcome his tendency to quail in the face of danger.
- Biblical verses like Isaiah 42 refer to righteous men who do “not quail nor break.”
- Shakespeare used quail and quailing in several of his plays to represent weakness.
This metaphor plays into ideals of courage and bravery against adversity. Calling someone a “quail” implies they are gutless or undependable in times of crisis. However, the flip side is showing courage when it would be easier to quail instead.
Use in Literature and Media
Both meanings of quail have made appearances in literature and media over the years:
Quail as Gamebirds
- Bobwhite quail calls are frequently used in television and movies to quickly establish a rural setting.
- William Faulkner’s stories referenced quail hunting as a way of Southern life.
- Robert Frost wrote the poem “Our Own Quail” about a covey of New England quail.
- Quail’s Meat, a 1969 children’s book by Patricia Polacco, depicts a quail hunt.
Quail as Fear
- The poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” refers to soldiers who would not quail in battle.
- In Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles, Dr. Mortimer is described as a man who does not quail.
- The novel Dune depicts soldiers who were “trained not to quail in the face of fanatics.”
- In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf declares he will not “quail though Mordor be the Master of the Earth.”
Regional Dialects and Usage
There are some regional differences in how the word “quail” is used:
- In the American South, quail more commonly refers to bobwhite quail as a gamebird, given their prevalence in the region.
- Northern English dialects tend to use “quail” more in the figurative sense of losing courage.
- In the western US, California quail or Gambel’s quail are the default species implied by the term.
- Outside the US, quail may generically refer to Old World species like common quail.
- The metaphorical meaning prevails in most contexts outside specific bird-hunting terminology.
However, broadly speaking the two main meanings of quail are consistent and understood across dialects of English.
Relevance in Everyday Usage
The term “quail” remains relevant in modern English in a few primary ways:
- In cooking and restaurants, as a speciality game dish and delicacy.
- In hunting vocabulary and activities related to quail as gamebirds.
- In literature and metaphors for cowardice, fear, and bravery.
- As the common name of a family of bird species found worldwide.
- In conservation discussions around preserving quail populations and habitats.
The literal bird meaning still dominates in scientific contexts like biology and zoology when referring specifically to the Coturnix quail genus. Figuratively, calling someone a “quail” disparagingly implies they are spineless or lack courage. While a less common everyday term today, this metaphor persists in books, poems, and other creative works to convey themes of fear and resolution in the face of it.
Conclusion
In summary, the word “quail” has two distinct meanings that have developed over centuries of English usage. As a noun, it refers to a family of small gamebirds like the Northern bobwhite valued for sport hunting and culinary purposes. Used metaphorically as a verb, “to quail” indicates withdrawing or recoiling in fear, connoting cowardice and failure to show bravery. Both meanings have cultural relevance – quail as symbols of rural life and quailing as emblematic of human weakness. The term maintains usage in specific contexts from cooking to literature to conservation. While nuances exist across dialects, these dual definitions of “quail” remain consistent in the English language today.
