Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

Sparrow is the generic name for a variety of small, common birds found the world over. These hardy little creatures have adapted to almost every type of environment, flourishing in prairie, marsh and desert. Even one of the New Testament gospels alludes to the ubiquity of the sparrow: in the book of Matthew Jesus asks, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?"

About 50 species of sparrow live in North and South America, taking such names as fox, vesper, black-chinned and golden crowned sparrow. The most abundant member of this avian family, the house sparrow, originated in the Mediterranean, and over the centuries has been introduced to the Americas, South Africa and New Zealand. The house sparrow began to thrive near human habitations in the 17th and 18th centuries by subsisting on the grain and seeds in horse and cattle droppings.

Sparrow is a word of considerable antiquity, first appearing in recorded documents in 900 AD. It derives from an Old English word spearwa, which means, simply "flutterer," and was applied by speakers of the language to any small, fluttering bird. The French call the bird moineau, or "monk," evoking the sparrow's dull, cowl-like coloration.

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