Hirundinidae
燕科
yàn kē

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome. Hover over Green Lettering Green lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

The Chinese term for swallows in general is 燕 yàn, but this does not usually occur as a word on its own. In the spoken language, swallows are referred to as 燕子 yànzi, which is most commonly understood as the common Hirundo rustica. The word 燕 is clearly related to a number of names in Southeast Asian languages, including Thai แอ่น àeen and Vietnamese én. In Early Middle Chinese the pronunciation of 燕 is believed to have been ʔɛnʰ (Pulleyblank).

The word 燕 yàn is an archetypal bird name in Chinese and is found in the names of numerous other birds. Linguistically, the swifts are identified as 雨燕 yǔ-yàn 'rain swallows'. Other birds with 燕 yàn in their names include the brambling (燕雀 yàn-què 'swallow-sparrow' or more accurately 'swallow-finch'), the hobby (燕隼 yàn-zhǔn 'swallow-falcon'), the pratincoles (燕鴴 yàn-héng 'swallow-plover'), the terns (燕鷗 yàn-ōu 'swallow-gull'), and the storm petrels (海燕 hǎi-yàn 'sea swallow'), although it is possible that some of these may be due to borrowing. More obviously ornithological terms include wood swallows (燕鵙 yàn-jú 'swallow-shrike') and tree swifts (樹燕 shù-yàn 'tree swallow' or 雨燕 yǔ-yàn 'rain-swallow' i.e. swift).

燕 yàn is also used in popular names in families ranging from the Alaudidae to the Dicruridae, from the Campephagidae to the Muscicapidae to the Zosteropidae.

Early ornithological names, as seen in the earliest list of Chinese ornithological names, Birds of China (35) published in 1927, were influenced by Japanese, but as a result of changes in species and generic assignments the connections are no longer obvious.

Naming subdivisions within the Hirundinidae include:

1. Members of the genus Delichon are called 毛腳燕 máo-jiǎo yàn 'hairy-legged swallow'.

2. Members of the genus Cecropis are described with reference to their rumps as 金腰燕 jin-yāo-yàn 'gold-rumped swallow' or 斑腰燕 bān-yāo-yàn 'stripe-rumped swallow'.

3. The genus Riparia are known as 沙燕 shā-yàn 'sand swallows', a calque on English 'sand martin'.

CULTURAL

In Chinese culture, the swallow is a bird symbolic of feminine grace and beauty. 趙飛燕 zhào fēiyàn (literally 'flying swallow Zhao') was an empress of the Han dynasty famed to this day for her slender beauty. 燕 yàn is still frequently used in girls' names in China.

The swallow is also traditionally regarded as a symbol of matrimonial tenderness, due to the habit of mating pairs building nests in human habitations.

There are a number of expressions containing the word 燕 yàn, including:

• 燕雀安置鴻鵠之志 yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhī zhì 'how could a sparrow understand the ambitions of the swan' (a lowly person cannot read the mind of a great man)
• 燕雀處堂 yànquè chǔtáng 'swallows and sparrows nesting in the hall' (unaware of the spreading blaze) -- i.e., to be unaware of imminent danger.
• 夫婦燕好 fūfù yànhǎo 'husband and wife as good swallows' i.e., connubial bliss.
• 燕語鶯聲 yànyǔ yīngshēng 'swallow speech oriole voice' -- scenes of spring with cheerfully chirping birds, now more likely to be used for the sweet charming voices of girls.

Species names

HIRUNDININAE
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH		CHINESE			JAPANESE		OTHER
Delichon
Latin	English	Chinese (Taiwan)	Chinese (Mainland)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Korean	Vietnamese
Delichon dasypus	Asian house martin Asian house-martin	(东方毛脚燕) 東方毛腳燕 dōngfāng máo-jiǎo-yàn 'eastern hair-legged swallow'	烟腹毛脚燕 (煙腹毛腳燕) yān-fù máo-jiǎo-yàn 'smoky-bellied hair-legged swallow'	(黑颏岩燕) 黑頦岩燕 hēi-kē yán-yàn 'black-chinned rock swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	イワツバメ (岩燕) iwa-tsubame 'rock-swallow'		흰털발제비 huin-teol-bal-jebi 'white hair-legged swallow'	Chim Nhạn hông trắng Á châu 'Asian white-rumped swallow (bird)' (12, 13)
Cecropis
Latin	English	Chinese (Taiwan)	Chinese (Mainland)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Korean	Vietnamese
Cecropis daurica Hirundo daurica	Red-rumped swallow Golden-rumped swallow	(金腰燕) 金腰燕 jīn-yāo yàn 'gold-rumped swallow'	金腰燕 (金腰燕) jīn-yāo yàn 'gold-rumped swallow'	(赤腰燕) 赤腰燕 chì-yāo-yàn 'red-rumped swallow' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) (巧燕) 巧燕 qiǎo-yàn 'skilful swallow' (northern) (35) (道瑞恩竖纹燕) 道瑞恩豎紋燕 dào-ruì-ēn shù-wén yàn 'Daurian vertical-striped swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	コシアカツバメ (腰赤燕) koshi-aka tsubame 'red-rumped swallow'		귀제비 gwi-jebi 'returning? swallow'	Hirundo daurica: Chim Nhạn bụng xám 'grey-bellied swallow (bird)' (12, 13)
Cecropis striolata Hirundo striolata	Striated swallow Greater striated swallow	(赤腰燕) 赤腰燕 chì-yāo yàn 'red-rumped swallow'	斑腰燕 (斑腰燕) bān-yāo yàn 'stripe-rumped swallow'	(竖纹燕) 豎紋燕 shù-wén yàn 'vertical-striped swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	オオコシアカツバメ (大腰赤燕) ō koshi-aka tsubame 'large red-rumped swallow'			Hirundo striolata: Chim Nhạn bụng vằn 'stripe-bellied swallow (bird)' (12)
Hirundo
Latin	English	Chinese (Taiwan)	Chinese (Mainland)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Korean	Vietnamese
Hirundo tahitica	Pacific swallow	(洋燕) 洋燕 yáng yàn 'ocean swallow'	洋燕 (洋燕) yáng yàn 'ocean swallow' (2, 4, 5) 洋斑燕 (洋斑燕) yáng bān yàn 'ocean striped swallow' (alt in 1, 3)		リュウキュウツバメ (琉球燕) ryūkyū tsubame 'Ryukyu swallow'			Chim Nhạn đuôi đen 'black-tailed swallow (bird)' (12, 34)
Hirundo rustica	Barn swallow House swallow Swallow	(家燕) 家燕 jiā-yàn 'house swallow'	家燕 (家燕) jiā-yàn 'house swallow'	(燕子) 燕子 yànzi 'swallow' (拙燕) 拙燕 zhuō-yàn 'clumsy swallow' (northern) (35, from Zool. Nomen.) (家燕) 家燕 jiā-yàn 'house swallow' (northern) (35, from Zool. Nomen.) (东方家燕) 東方家燕 dōng-fāng jiā-yàn 'eastern house swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	ツバメ (燕) tsubame 'swallow'		제비 jebi 'swallow'	Chim Nhạn bụng trắng 'white-bellied swallow (bird)' (12, 13, 34)
Riparia
Latin	English	Chinese (Taiwan)	Chinese (Mainland)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Korean	Vietnamese
Riparia paludicola	Plain martin Brown-throated sand martin African sand martin	(棕沙燕) 棕沙燕 zōng shā-yàn 'reddishbrown sand-swallow'	褐喉沙燕 (褐喉沙燕) hè-hóu shā-yàn 'brown throated sand-swallow'	(华南沙岩燕) 華南沙岩燕 huá-nán shā yán-yàn 'South Chinese sand rock swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	タイワンショウドウツバメ (台湾小洞燕) taiwan shōdō tsubame 'Taiwan small hole swallow'			Chim Nhạn nâu đỏ 'red-brown swallow (bird)' (12)
Riparia riparia	Sand martin or Bank swallow Collared sand martin	(灰沙燕) 灰沙燕 huī shā-yàn 'grey sand-swallow'	崖沙燕 (崖沙燕) yá shā-yàn 'cliff sand-swallow'	(沙燕) 沙燕 shā-yàn 'sand-swallow' (水燕子) 水燕子 shuǐ yànzi 'water swallow' (土燕子) 土燕子 tǔ yàn-zi 'earth swallow' (also used for pratincoles) (沙岩燕) 沙岩燕 shā yán-yàn 'sand rock swallow' (early ornithological) (35)	ショウドウツバメ (小洞燕) shōdō tsubame 'small hole swallow'		갈색제비 gal-saek-jebi 'brown-coloured swallow'	Chim Nhạn nâu xám 'grey brown swallow (bird)' (12, 34)

中国鸟类种和亚种分类名录大全（修订版） 郑作新 著 科学出版社 北京 2000年
A Complete Checklist of Species and Subspecies of the Chinese Birds (Revised Edition) by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 2000

中国鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2005年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2005

中国鸟类野外手册（中文版）约翰・马敬能、卡伦・菲利普斯，合作者：荷芬奇，翻译：卢和芬 湖南教育出版社 长沙 2000年
A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Chinese translation) by John MacKinnon, Karen Phillipps, in collaboration with He Fen-qi, translated by Lu Hefen, Hunan Jiaoyu Chubanshe (Hunan Educational Press) Changsha 2000

世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002

世界鸟类名称（拉丁文、汉文、英文对照）第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002

中国鸟类分布名录 第二版 郑作新 科学出版社 北京 1976年
(Checklist of the Classification of Birds of China 2nd edition by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 1976)

香港及華南鳥類（第六版）（翻譯成中文及重新修訂） 尹璉、費嘉倫、林超英 香港性徵特區政府新聞處政府印務局 1994年
Birds of Hong Kong and South China (6th edition, translated into Chinese and newly revised) by Clive Viney, Karen Phillipps, Lin Chaoying, Hong Kong Govt. Press 1994

Danh Lục Chim Việt Nam (In lần thứ hai) (Checklist of the Birds of Vietnam) Võ Quý, Nguyễn Cử, Nhà Xuất Bản Nông Nghiệp, Hà Nội 1999

Chim Việt Nam Nguyễn Cử, Lê Trọng Trải, Karen Phillipps; Nhà Xuất Bản Lao Động - Xã Hội, 2000

Danh Lục Các Loài Chim ở Việt Nam (Latinh, Việt, Pháp, Hán) Trần Văn Chánh 2008-2009

Chinese Birds (A Tentative List of Chinese Birds) 中國鳥類（中國鳥類目錄試編） N. Gist Gee, Lacy I. Moffett, G. D. Wilder (祁天錫, 慕維德, 萬卓志), Peiping, 1927 (reprinted 1948)