popinjay English · revision 1070

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/, /ˈpɑpənˌd͡ʒeɪ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''papejay'', ''popingay'' “parrot”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|fro|papegai|t=parrot]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|es|papagayo]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|ar|بَبَّغَاء|tr=babbaḡāʾ|t=parrot]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from Persian ''babġā''.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Etymonline suggests the word may imitate the bird's cry,^(Etymonline) and that the ending was assimilated to ''jay''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A parrot (1322 in Barnhart; before 1310 in the OED), and as a surname from 1270.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the early 14th century the word was used of people in a complimentary sense, for beauty and rarity.^(Etymonline) It also named the figure of a parrot set on a pole as a target for archers and gunners (from the 16th century).^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary) The sense of a vain, talkative person is first recorded in 1528,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and the word also names the green woodpecker in British dialect.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1270 – as a surname.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1322 – a parrot; the figure of a parrot.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1528 – a vain, talkative person.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 16th century – a parrot used as a target.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A vain, talkative or pretentious person; a [[fop]] or [[coxcomb]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[parrot]].^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' The figure of a parrot on a pole, used as a target in shooting.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(British dialect)'' The green [[woodpecker]].^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[parrot]]

+ * [[jay]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}