Etymologically
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cockatoo

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Etymology

It is borrowed from Dutch kaketoe,[1][2][3][4][5] from Malay kakatua,[1][2][3][4][5] perhaps imitative of the bird's call[2][3] or from kakak “elder sibling” and tua “old”.[3][5] The English spelling was influenced by cock.[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A parrot of the genus Cacatua of Australia and the East Indies (1616).[6][2]

Semantic evolution

In Australia and New Zealand the bird's name was applied colloquially to a small farmer (1864)[6][5] and to a lookout posted by people engaged in illegal activity, such as gambling (1827).[6][5][7]

Timeline

  • 1616 – the crested parrot, as cacatoe.[6][2]
  • 1634 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.[4]
  • 1827 – Australian slang, a lookout.[6]
  • 1863 – cockatiel.[3]
  • 1864 – Australian, a small farmer.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A large, noisy, crested parrot of Australia and nearby regions.
  2. (Australian) A small farmer.
  3. (Australian slang) A lookout posted by people doing something illegal.
  • cockatiel

References

  1. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org