Thirty-three Words for Feather

Birds and feathers are symbolic in most cultures of the world. The dove has symbolised peace, the phoenix is associated with regeneration or rebirth. Birds are often seen as messengers, indeed, pigeons have been used for this very purpose. Feathers have been, and still are, used to adorn ourselves.

Think, too, of some of our common phrases: birds of a feather flock together, a feather in your cap, as light as a feather, feather-brained, you could have knocked me down with a feather, feather your nest. Feathers are ubiquitous.

This collection of 33 short stories each includes references to feathers. In each story the word feather is from a different language. The stories celebrate our diversity and our commonality.

The words for feather in this collection of short vignettes span the entire globe.