papegaai - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
From Dutch papegaai, from Middle Dutch papegay, from Old French papegai, ultimately from Arabic ببغاء, of onomatopoeic origin.
papegaai (plural papegaaie, diminutive papegaaitjie)
- a parrot
- (figuratively) a person who parrots, or repeats uncritically, the words of others
From Middle Dutch papegay, from Old French papegai, ultimately from Arabic ببغاء, of onomatopoeic origin. Cf. English popinjay.
papegaai m (plural papegaaien, diminutive papegaaitje n)
- 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.
- [The Eurasian jay] was moreover probably given its name Garrulus as he, when raised in a cage, learns to talk very well, like parrots do.
- (figurative) a person who parrots other people
- (historical) a bird-shaped target in archery
- (obsolete, derogatory) papist