Proto-Basque: *čoli
Meaning: 1 bird 2 pigeon
Bizkaian: txori 1
Gipuzkoan: txori 1, txoloma 2
High Navarrese: txori, xori 1, txoloma 2
Low Navarrese: txori, xori 1
Salazarese: txori 1
Lapurdian: xori 1, (Ainhoa) txori 1
Baztanese: xori 1
Zuberoan: txóri, xori 1
Roncalese: txori 1
Comments: In compounds the form is *čol-, e.g. txol-arre 'sparrow' (Trask 1997; Aulestia & White 1992; not in Azkue: cf. txoarre). Trask (1995, 1997) following Michelena (1961) derives *čori from *sori 'luck, fortune' from "the common practice of foretelling the future by observing the flight of birds," a solution that seems ingenious, but misguided and fantastic, in this analysis. *čoloma 'pigeon' is a blend of *čol- + Span. paloma.
