Where does “popejay” come from?

popejay (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman papegai, from English papagay, from Arabic ببغاء — parrot; one who repeats what was said.

Ancestry of “popejay”, step by step

popejay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Anglo-Norman papegai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Normanpapegaiparrot
2EnglishpapagayObsolete form of popinjay
3Arabicببغاءparrot; one who repeats what was said

via English papejoie

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpapejoie—
Every word from Arabic ببغاء →Every word from English papagay →Every word from Anglo-Norman papegai →