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Eyas Originated as a Linguistic Mistake
Eyas is a funny-sounding word that exists because of a mistake. In the 15th century, Middle English speakers made an incorrect assumption about the word neias, which comes from the Anglo-French niais ("fresh from the nest"). "A neias" sounded like "an eias" to their ears, so the word lost that initial "n," eventually becoming "eyas." (There are other words in English that were created in this same fashion; for example, "an apron" used to be "a napron.") The change in spelling may have been suggested by other Middle English words like "ey" ("egg") and "eyry," which was a spelling of "aerie," the hawk's nest where an eyas would be found.
Examples of eyas in a Sentence
Annasofia Scheve, The Enquirer, 28 June 2023
In mid-May, wildlife photographer Doug Gillard noticed a female bald eagle carrying an eyas, the term for a baby hawk, to her nest.
—Daniel S. Levine, Peoplemag, 23 June 2023
About 54 eyases, or falcon chicks, have emerged from library rooftop scrapes over the years, library officials said.
—Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, 6 Aug. 2019
The newest eyases were expected to begin flying in late June.
—Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, 6 Aug. 2019
About 54 eyases have emerged from library rooftop scrapes over the years, library officials said.
—Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2019
The newest eyases are expected to begin flying in about three weeks.
—Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2019
The Chesapeake Conservancy, with aid from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, rescued the peregrine falcon eyas, or a young peregrine falcon, after it was found on the ground level of the building.
—Phil Davis, baltimoresun.com, 6 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Eyas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyas. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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