What does purling mean?
Purling has two familiar meanings joined by the history of the word. In knitting, it means working the purl stitch, the looped stitch that creates a textured or ribbed surface; it can also refer to a decorative edging made with that stitch. In descriptions of birds, purling denotes a soft, continuous, low murmuring sound, especially the sound of pigeons and doves. As a verb, purling can therefore describe either a knitter's repeated action or a flock making a subdued cooing call. Although the contexts seem unrelated, both uses ultimately come from purl, an old word whose precise origin is uncertain. Purling is especially useful in craft instructions and descriptive writing, where it distinguishes the purl stitch from the plain knit stitch and gives a more specific term than cooing for the murmuring of pigeons.
The process or technique of working purl stitches, especially to make a textured fabric or decorative edging; also a continuous low sound made by certain birds.
"The delicate purling along the blanket's border was the final touch."
The knitting meaning often names a technique or finished edging, while the bird meaning names a sustained murmuring call.
To knit with purl stitches or to make a continuous low murmuring sound.
"The birds were purling softly as the evening began."
The bird sense is especially characteristic of pigeons and doves.
The regular plural is rare; the word is normally used as a mass noun for the knitting process or as a singular noun for a bird's sound.
"The recorded purlings of the flock provided evidence that the birds had returned."
The same word covers a bird's murmuring call and one of knitting's most familiar stitches—pigeons purl, and knitters purl, too.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does purling come from?
Purling derives from purl, a word recorded in English by the late medieval period and used for forms of twisted thread or embroidery before its knitting sense developed. The ultimate origin of purl is uncertain. Its older bird-related sense, referring to a low murmuring sound, was later joined by the modern knitting terminology based on the appearance of looped purl stitches.
Related word forms
How purling is actually used
In knitting, the term may refer either to the action of working purl stitches or to a border or strip of purl stitching. In the bird sense, it is especially associated with pigeons and doves.
Easily confused with purling
Purring describes the low, continuous sound commonly made by cats, whereas purling more specifically describes the sound made by pigeons and some other birds.