byrdling

Etymology
Apparently from a (equivalent to ), though there are no cognates. Perhaps the literal meaning was originally "little shield," though in the surviving texts only means "shield" in poetry. Every modern Germanic language except English has the word "shield" in the word for "turtle":, , , and all mean “shield toad,”  and  both mean “shield back.” Also a few non-Germanic languages, cf. and.

Noun

 * 1)  turtle, tortoise