papegaai

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Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch papegaai, from Middle Dutch papegay, from Old French papegai, ultimately from Arabic ببغاء, of onomatopoeic origin.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

papegaai (plural papegaaie, diminutive papegaaitjie)

  1. a parrot
  2. (figuratively) a person who parrots, or repeats uncritically, the words of others

Dutch

Een groene papegaai (A green parrot).

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle Dutch papegay, from Old French papegai, ultimately from Arabic ببغاء, of onomatopoeic origin. Cf. English popinjay.

Pronunciation

Noun

papegaai m (plural papegaaien, diminutive papegaaitje n)

  1. parrot, member of the order Psittaciformes, especially of the families Psittacidae and Psittaculidae
    Synonym: lorre
    • 1770, Nederlandsche vogelen, part 1, page 2:
      Men gaf hem, boven dien, waerschynlyk zynen naem van Garrulus, omdat hy, in eene kooi opgevoed, zeer wel leert klappen, gelyk de Pappegaeyen.
      was moreover probably given its name Garrulus as he, when raised in a cage, learns to talk very well, like parrots do.
  2. (figurative) A person who parrots other people.
  3. (historical) A bird-shaped target in archery.
  4. (obsolete, derogatory) papist

Derived terms

Descendants