mallerenga

Catalan

Alternative forms

• mallenga, marallenga

Etymology

Borrowed from Frankish *meisinga. The Catalan form first became *merlenga under the influence of merla (“blackbird”) and then merellenga by folk etymology, influenced by llengua (“tongue”), as tits are considered noisy birds. Finally, metathesis in some varieties yielded the form mallerenga. Compare Occitan mesenga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [mə.ʎəˈɾɛŋ.ɡə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [mə.ʎəˈɾəŋ.ɡə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ma.ʎeˈɾeŋ.ɡa]

Noun

mallerenga f (plural mallerengues)

1. any native bird of the family Paridae, such as the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) or the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
2. chatterbox (a chatty person)

Derived terms

• mallerenga blava
• mallerenga carbonera
• mallerenga cuallarga
• mallerenga d'aigua
• mallerenga de bigotis
• mallerenga emplomallada
• mallerenga petita

References

• “mallerenga” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “mallerenga”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “mallerenga” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “mallerenga” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.