Where does “popingay” come from?
popingay (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman papegai, from English papagay, from Arabic ببغاء — parrot; one who repeats what was said.
Ancestry of “popingay”, step by step
popingay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Anglo-Norman papegai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | papegai | parrot |
| 2 | English | papagay | Obsolete form of popinjay |
| 3 | Arabic | ببغاء | parrot; one who repeats what was said |
via English papejoie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | papejoie | — |