ὄρνις
Etym. gen. ὄρνι_θος; acc. ὄρνι^θα and ὄρνιν
Etym. as if from ὄρνιξ
I. "a bird", Hom., etc.; often added to the specific names, ὄρνισιν ἐοικότες αἰγυπιοῖσιν Il.; λάρῳ ὄρνιθι ἐοικώς Od.; ὄ. ἀηδών, πέρδιξ Soph.; ὄ. ἁλκυών, ὄ. κύκνος Eur.
II. like οἰωνός, "a bird of omen", from the flight or cries of which the augur divined, Hom., Soph.
2. metaph., like Lat. avis for "augurium, the omen or prophecy taken from the flight or cries of birds", Hom., etc.:—then, generally, "an omen, presage", without direct reference to birds, Il.
III. in attic, ὄρνις, is mostly "a cock", ὄρνις, ἡ, "a hen", Soph., Ar., etc.
IV. in pl. sometimes "the bird-market", Ar., Dem.
V. Μοισᾶν ὄρνιθες "birds" of the Muses, i. e. Poets, Theocr.:— proverb., ὀρνίθων γάλα "pigeon's milk, " i. e. any marvellous dainty or good fortune, Ar.