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Glite Dictionary
two-note call

two-note call

8.1
A bird sound that has two different notes played one after the other
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : canto de dos notas
  • Certain species use a two-note call during their mating season to attract partners.

Examples

  • The cuckoo is famous for its distinctive two-note call heard throughout spring.

  • We identified the bird by listening for the two-note call it repeated from the treetops.

  • The bird made a distinct two-note call.

  • Did you hear that two-note call from the sparrow?

  • While watching the birds, I heard a distinct two-note call that signaled a warning to others.

  • The naturalist identified the two-note call of the sparrow as it flitted between branches.

  • During the hike, a two-note call echoed through the trees, indicating that a pair of birds was nearby.

Surface Forms

two-note call singular
two-note calls plural

Morphology

two-note + call

This is a straightforward compositional phrase: 'two-note' (two + note) describes the number/shape of the sound and 'call' is a sound or signal, so the overall meaning 'a call consisting of two notes' is directly derivable from the parts. The hyphenated numeral + noun + head noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows 'two', 'note', and 'call' will understand it.

Etymology

The term two-note call comes from the simple image of a bird making exactly two short notes in a row. That clear two-sound pattern helps people identify the bird, so the phrase means 'a birdcall that has two different notes'.