hill myna

9.0

A shiny black bird from Asia that can copy human speech

noun
/hɪl ˈmaɪnə/

Indian

: myna

The hill myna is prized for its remarkable ability to imitate a variety of sounds, including human speech.

Examples

Many bird enthusiasts keep a hill myna as a pet because of its talking skills.
Wild hill mynas are commonly seen in the forests of India and Southeast Asia.
The hill myna is known for its impressive vocal abilities.
Many people keep hill mynas as pets in their homes.
Many bird enthusiasts keep a hill myna as a pet because of its ability to mimic human speech.
The hill myna is a glossy black bird from Asia, known for its remarkable talking skills.
In tropical regions, the hill myna is often admired for its impressive vocal abilities.

Synonyms

mynah

vshill myna

Indian

2 8.9

A bird from tropical Asia that often copies human speech

is a specific glossy Asian species often kept as a pet and mimic

mynah bird

vshill myna

Indian

1 7.5

A tropical bird from Asia that copies human speech and is often kept as a pet

is the specific glossy pet species rather than the general mimic bird

myna bird

vshill myna

Indian

1 7.3

A tropical Asian bird with glossy black feathers that copies sounds

is narrower, pointing to the particular pet species among such birds

Gracula religiosa

vshill myna

Specialized

9.9

A large shiny black bird like a starling that can copy human speech

is the familiar pet name used instead of the scientific term

Indian grackle

vshill myna

Indian

9.9

A glossy black bird from Asia that often learns to copy human speech

is the common pet label rather than a trained bird descriptor

Gracula

vshill myna

Specialized

9.9

A group of birds like hill mynas that can copy sounds

is the single species commonly kept as a talking pet

grackle

vshill myna

9.9

An Asian glossy black bird that can copy human speech

is the more specific species commonly kept and celebrated for talking

Surface Forms

hill myna singular

hill mynas plural

Morphology

hill + myna

The noun 'hill myna' is compositionally built from 'hill' (a type of place) + 'myna' (a bird that mimics sounds), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a myna associated with hills (i.e., a species of myna). This follows a common noun + noun naming pattern found across languages, making the meaning predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

Hill myna may come from the bird's home and its local name: these shiny black birds often live on hills and were called myna in Asian languages because they 'talk' and copy sounds. That's why hill myna now means a black Asian bird famous for its ability 'to mimic human speech'.