Apodidae
Họ Yến

General names

The following is based on analysis of dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections are welcome.

Note on Vietnamese naming: With the exception of ducks and chickens, it is common for Vietnamese bird names to be preceded by the word Chim meaning 'bird', although it is normally omitted in Vietnamese bird lists. All bird names, whether they include chim or not, can be preceded by the classifier con, which is used for living creatures.

The swifts and swiftlets are called Chim yến in Vietnamese. This represents a borrowing of the Chinese word 燕 (modern Mandarin pronunciation yàn) meaning 'swallow'. The original meaning 'swallow' still survives in some literary expressions in Vietnamese. (The swallows themselves are referred to as Chim nhạn or Chim én, where 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.)

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

Chữ Nôm

The character used for apodids in the now obsolete Chữ Nôm characters is:

Name	Chữ Nôm Images from the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation dictionary. (Errors are the sole responsibility of the author of this site)
Yến	(Chinese character for 'swallow').

Species names

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APODINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		VIETNAMESE		EAST ASIAN		S. E. ASIAN
Aerodramus
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese (incl. Taiwan)	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Aerodramus brevirostris Collocalia brevirostris	Himalayan swiftlet Indian edible-nest swiftlet	Chim Yến núi 'mountain swift (bird)'		短嘴金丝燕 (短嘴金絲燕) 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'	นกแอ่นพันธุ์หิมาลัย nók àeen pʰan hì-maa-lay 'Himalayan species swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Himalaya 'Himalayan swallow (bird)' (24, 25, 26)	Burung Walet Gunung 'mountain swiftlet (bird)' Taxonomy
Aerodromas salangana Aerodramus salanganus Collocalia salangana	Mossy-nest swiftlet Mossy swiftlet	Chim Yến rêu 'moss swift (bird)'		苔巢金丝燕 (苔巢金絲燕) 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'			Burung Walet Sarang-lumut 'moss-nest swiftlet (bird)'
Aerodramus fuciphagus Collocalia fuciphaga	Edible-nest swiftlet Thunberg's swiftlet	Chim Yến hông xám 'grey-rumped swift (bird)'		爪哇金丝燕 (爪哇金絲燕) 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'	นกแอ่นกินรัง nók àeen kin-raŋ 'eat-nest swallow (bird)' Taxonomy	Burung Layang-layang Gua 'cave swallow (bird)' (24, 25, 26) Name	Burung Walet Sarang-putih 'white-nest swiftlet (bird)'
Hirundapus
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese (incl. Taiwan)	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Hirundapus caudacutus Hirundapus caudacuta Chaetura caudacuta	White-throated needletail White-throated spine-tailed swift Spinetail swift	Chim Yến đuôi cứng hông trắng 'stiff-tailed white-rumped swift (bird)' Chim Yến đuôi nhọn họng trắng 'sharp-tailed white-throated swift (bird)' (13)		白喉针尾雨燕 (白喉針尾雨燕) bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' Taiwan: (白喉针尾雨燕) 白喉針尾雨燕 bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' Taiwan former official: (针尾雨燕) 針尾雨燕 zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'needle-tailed rain-swallow'	ハリオアマツバメ (針尾雨燕) hari-o ama-tsubame 'needle-tailed rain-swallow'	นกแอ่นใหญ่คอขาว nók àeen yày kʰoaa-kʰăaw 'white-throated large swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Leher Putih 'white-necked swallow (bird)' (24, 26) Burung Layang-layang Ekor Runcing Utara 'northern sharp-tailed swallow (bird)' (25)	Burung Kapinis-jarum Asia 'Asian needle-swift (bird)'
Hirundapus cochinchinensis	Silver-backed needletail Grey-throated spinetail swift White-vented spine-tailed swift Needletailed swift White-vented needletail	Chim Yến đuôi cứng bụng trắng 'stiff-tailed white-bellied swift (bird)' Chim Yến đuôi nhọn lưng bạc 'sharp-tailed silvery-backed swift (bird)' (13)		白背针尾雨燕 (白背針尾雨燕) bái-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'white-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (2, 4) 灰喉针尾雨燕 (灰喉針尾雨燕) huī-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (1, 3, 5) Taiwan: (灰喉针尾雨燕) 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'	นกแอ่นใหญ่หัวตาดำ nók àeen yày hŭa-taa-dam 'black-lored large-swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Rengkong Putih 'white-throated swallow (bird)' (24, 26) Burung Layang-layang Ekor Runcing Indocina 'Indochinese sharp-tailed swallow (bird)' (25)	Burung Kapinis-jarum Pantat-putih 'white-rumped needle-swift (bird)'
Hirundapus giganteus Hirundapus gigantea	Brown-backed needletail Brown spine-tailed swift Large brown-throated spinetail swift	Chim Yến đuôi cứng lớn 'large stiff-tailed swift (bird)'		褐背针尾雨燕 (褐背針尾雨燕) hè-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn 'brown-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (4) 褐喉针尾雨燕 (褐喉針尾雨燕) 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'	นกแอ่นใหญ่หัวตาขาว nók àeen yày hŭa-taa-kʰăaw 'white-lored large-swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Besar 'large swallow (bird)' (24, 26) Burung Layang-layang Ekor Runcing Biasa 'common sharp-tailed swallow (bird)' (25)	Burung Kapinis-jarum Gedang 'big needle-swift (bird)'
Cypsiurus
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese (incl. Taiwan)	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Cypsiurus balasiensis	Asian palm swift Palm swift	Chim Yến cọ 'palm swift (bird)'		棕雨燕 (棕雨燕) zōng yǔ-yàn 'palm rain-swallow' Taxonomy Taiwan: (棕雨燕) 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'	นกแอ่นตาล nók àeen taan '(sugar-)palm swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Palma 'palm swallow (bird)' (from English 'palm') (26) Burung Layang-layang Asia 'Asian swallow (bird)' (24) Burung Layang-layang Lontar 'palmyra swallow (bird)' (palmyra = a type of palm) (25)	Burung Walet-palem Asia 'Asian palm-swiftlet (bird)' (from Dutch 'palm')
Apus
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese (incl. Taiwan)	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Apus pacificus	Fork-tailed swift or Pacific swift Large white-rumped swift Larger white-rumped swift Northern white-rumped swift	Chim Yến hông trắng 'white-rumped swift (bird)'		白腰雨燕 (白腰雨燕) bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'white-rumped rain-swallow' Taiwan: (叉尾雨燕) 叉尾雨燕 chā-wěi yǔ-yàn 'fork-tailed rain-swallow' Taiwan former official: (白腰雨燕) 白腰雨燕 bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'white-rumped rain-swallow'	アマツバメ (雨燕) ama-tsubame 'rain-swallow'	นกแอ่นตะโพกขาวหางแฉก nók àeen tà-pʰôok-kʰăaw hăaŋ-cʰàeek 'V-shape-tailed white-rumped swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Ekor Cabang 'fork-tailed swallow (bird)' (24, 26) Burung Layang-layang Timur 'eastern swallow (bird)' (25)	Burung Kapinis Laut 'sea swift (bird)'
Apus acuticauda Apus acuticaudus	Dark-rumped Swift Dark-backed Swift	-		暗背雨燕 (暗背雨燕) àn-bèi yǔ-yàn 'dark-backed rain-swallow' (4) 暗背刺尾雨燕 (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'	นกแอ่นท้องลาย nók àeen tʰóaaŋ-laay 'stripe-bellied swallow (bird)'
Apus nipalensis	House swift	Chim Yến cằm trắng 'white-chinned swift (bird)' Taxonomy		小白腰雨燕 (小白腰雨燕) xiǎo bái-yāo yǔ-yàn 'small white-rumped rain-swallow' Taxonomy Taiwan: (小雨燕) 小雨燕) xiǎo yǔ-yàn 'small rain-swallow' Taxonomy	ヒメアマツバメ (姫雨燕) hime ama-tsubame 'princess rain-swallow'	นกแอ่นบ้าน nók àeen bâan 'house swallow (bird)'	Burung Layang-layang Rumah 'house swallow (bird)' (24, 25, 26) Name	Burung Kapinis Rumah 'house swift (bird)'

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