Apodidae

1. General names

Chinese: The swifts are known in Chinese as 雨燕 yǔ-yàn or 'rain swallows'.

The swiftlets (or salanganes), many of which are valued for their edible nests, are known as 金丝燕 jīn-sī yàn or 'gold-silk swallows'. As a delicacy, the nests are known as 燕窝 yàn-wō 'swallow's nests'.

Japanese: The swifts are known in Japanese as アマツバメ ama-tsubame or 'rain swallows'. This is not only exactly the same in meaning as the Chinese, but is also written with the same Chinese characters (雨燕). Unqualified, this refers to A. pacificus.

Other names include アマドリ ama-dori (雨鳥) 'rain bird' or アマクロツバメ ama-kuro-tsubame (雨黒燕) 'rain black swallow'.

The swiftlets are called アナツバメ ana-tsubame, written 穴燕 and meaning 'hole swallows', presumably because of their nesting habits. The edible nests of the swiftlets are known as つばめのす tsubame no su (燕の巣) 'swallow's nests'.

Vietnamese: The common name for all swifts and swiftlets in Vietnamese is Yến. This is a borrowing from the Chinese word 燕 yàn meaning 'swallow'. The original meaning 'swallow' still survives in some literary expressions in Vietnamese.

The edible nests of the swiftlets are known as yến sào.

2. Species names

APODINAE
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH		CHINESE			JAPANESE		VIETNAMESE
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Hydrochous
Hydrochous gigas Collocalia gigas	Waterfall swift Giant swift	瀑布雨燕 pùbù yǔ-yàn 'waterfall rain-swallow' (4) 金丝燕 jīn-sī-yàn 'gold-silk swallow' (5)			オニアナツバメ (鬼穴燕) oni ana-tsubame 'ogre hole-swallow'
Collocalia
Collocalia esculenta	Glossy swiftlet White-bellied swiftlet	白腹金丝燕 bái-fù jīn-sī-yàn 'white-bellied gold-silk swallow'			シロハラアナツバメ (白腹穴燕) shiro-hara ana-tsubame 'white-bellied hole-swallow'
Aerodramus
Aerodramus brevirostris Collocalia brevirostris	Himalayan swiftlet (Cheng) Indian edible-nest swiftlet	短嘴金丝燕 duǎn-zuǐ jīn-sī-yàn 'short-billed gold-silk swallow'			ヒマラヤアナツバメ (ヒマラヤ穴燕) Himaraya ana-tsubame 'Himalayan hole-swallow'		Yến núi 'mountain swift'
Aerodromas salangana Aerodramus salanganus Collocalia salangana	Mossy-nest swiftlet Mossy swiftlet	苔巢金丝燕 tái-cháo jīn-sī-yàn 'moss-nest gold-silk swallow' (4)			コケアナツバメ (苔穴燕) koke ana-tsubame 'moss hole-swallow'		Yến rêu 'moss swift'
Aerodramus maximus Collocalia maxima	Black-nest swiftlet (Cheng) Lowe's swiftlet	大金丝燕 dà jīn-sī-yàn 'large gold-silk swallow' (4, 5) 方尾金丝燕 fāng-wěi jīn-sī-yàn 'square-tailed gold-silk swallow' (10)			オオアナツバメ (大穴燕) ō ana-tsubame 'large hole-swallow'
Aerodramus fuciphagus Collocalia fuciphaga	Edible-nest swiftlet (Cheng) Thunberg's swiftlet	爪哇金丝燕 Zhǎowā jīn-sī-yàn 'Javanese gold-silk swallow'			ジャワアナツバメ (ジャワ穴燕) Jawa ana-tsubame 'Javanese hole-swallow'		Yến hông xám 'grey-rumped swift'
Rhaphidura
Rhaphidura leucopygialis Chaetura leucopygialis	Silver-rumped spinetailed swift Silver-rumped Spinetail	银腰针尾雨燕 yín-yāo zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'silver-rumped needle-tailed rain-swallow' (4) 白腰刺尾雨燕 bái-yāo cì-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-rumped spine-tailed rain-swallow' (5, 10)			チビハリオアマツバメ (ちび針尾雨燕) chibi hari-o ama-tsubame 'tiny needle-tailed rain-swallow'
Hirundapus
Hirundapus caudacutus Hirundapus caudacuta Chaetura caudacuta	White-throated needletail White-throated spine-tailed swift (Cheng) Spinetail swift	白喉针尾雨燕 bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow'	白喉針尾雨燕 bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' 針尾雨燕 zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'needle-tailed rain-swallow' (former official name)	山燕子 shān yànzi 'mountain swallow'	ハリオアマツバメ (針尾雨燕) hari-o ama-tsubame 'needle-tailed rain-swallow'		Yến đuôi cứng hông trắng 'stiff-tailed white-rumped swift' Yến đuôi nhọn họng trắng 'sharp-tailed white-throated swift' (13)
Hirundapus cochinchinensis	Silver-backed needletail Grey-throated spinetail swift (Cheng) White-vented spine-tailed swift Needletailed swift White-vented needletail	白背针尾雨燕 bái-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (2, 4) 灰喉针尾雨燕 huī-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (1, 3, 5)	灰喉針尾雨燕 huī-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow'		コシジロハリオアマツバメ (腰白針尾雨燕) koshi-jiro hari-o ama-tsubame 'white-rumped needle-tailed rain-swallow'		Yến đuôi cứng bụng trắng 'stiff-tailed white-bellied swift' Yến đuôi nhọn lưng bạc 'sharp-tailed silvery-backed swift' (13)
Hirundapus giganteus Hirundapus gigantea	Brown-backed needletail Brown spine-tailed swift Large brown-throated spinetail swift	褐背针尾雨燕 hè-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'brown-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (4) 褐喉针尾雨燕 hè-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'brown-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (5)			オオハリオアマツバメ (大針尾雨燕) ō hari-o ama-tsubame 'large needle-tailed rain swallow'		Yến đuôi cứng lớn 'large stiff-tailed swift'
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Cypsiurus
Cypsiurus batasiensis	Asian palm swift Palm swift (Cheng)	棕雨燕 zōng yǔ-yàn 'palm rain-swallow' Note	棕雨燕 zōng yǔ-yàn 'palm rain-swallow'		アジアヤシハリオアマツバメ (アジア椰子針尾雨燕) Ajia yashi hari-o ama-tsubame 'Asian palm needle-tailed rain-swallow'	ヤシアマツバメ (椰子雨燕) yashi ama-tsubame 'palm rain-swallow'	Yến cọ 'palm swift'
Apus
Apus apus	Common swift (Cheng) Swift Eurasian swift	普通楼燕 pǔtōng lóu-yàn 'common building swallow' (1, 2, 3, 4) 楼燕 lóu-yàn 'building swallow' (5)		雨燕 yǔ-yàn 'rain-swallow' 欧洲雨燕 Ōuzhōu yǔ-yàn 'European rain-swallow' 北京雨燕 Běijīng yǔ-yàn 'Beijing rain-swallow' 褐雨燕 hè yǔ-yàn 'brown rain-swallow' 野燕 yě-yàn 'wild swallow'	ヨーロッパアマツバメ (ヨーロッパ雨燕) Yōroppa ama-tsubame 'European rain-swallow'
Apus pacificus	Fork-tailed swift or Pacific swift Large white-rumped swift (Cheng) Larger white-rumped swift Northern white-rumped swift	白腰雨燕 bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'white-rumped rain-swallow'	叉尾雨燕 chā-wěi yǔ-yàn 'fork-tailed rain-swallow' 白腰雨燕 bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'white-rumped rain-swallow' (former official name)		アマツバメ (雨燕) ama-tsubame 'rain-swallow'		Yến hông trắng 'white-rumped swift'
Apus acuticauda Apus acuticaudus	Dark-rumped Swift Dark-backed Swift	暗背雨燕 àn-bèi yǔ-yàn 'dark-backed rain-swallow' (4) 暗背刺尾雨燕 àn-bèi cì-wěi yǔ-yàn dark-backed spine-tailed rain swallow' (5)			セグロアマツバメ (背黒雨燕) se-guro ama-tsubame 'black-backed rain-swallow'
Apus nipalensis	House swift	小白腰雨燕 xiǎo bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'small white-rumped rain-swallow' Note	小雨燕 xiǎo yǔ-yàn 'small rain-swallow' Note		ヒメアマツバメ (姫雨燕) hime ama-tsubame 'princess rain-swallow'		Yến cằm trắng 'white-chinned swift' Note
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V

3. Notes

1. Other:

• As noted above, the swifts are all linguistically associated with swallows in CJV. Both Chinese and Japanese call the swifts 'rain swallows'. Ama-tsubame is formed of native Japanese roots (ame + tsubame). Both Chinese and Japanese names are written with the same characters. It is possible that the Chinese have taken over the Japanese term as a 'visual borrowing', i.e., based on the script rather than pronunciation. The Vietnamese word yến is directly derived from the Chinese word for 'swallow'.
• In Vietnamese, the swallows themselves are referred to as nhạn or én. The word én is derived from the same Chinese word as yến. This is a case where the same Chinese word has been borrowed more than once, possibly at different times in history.