Etymology

cockatiel

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Today it means: Nymphicus hollandicus, a small, rather atypical cockatoo with a distinctive pointed yellow crest, native to Australia. Avicultural forms come in many color mutations such as White Face Gray, White Face Pearl, Fallow, Pearl Pied, Cinnamon Pearl, and White Face Pied. Full definition →

Dutch kaketielje ← Portuguese cacatua
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The story

  1. Portuguese · derived fromcacatua“cockatoo”
  2. Dutch · borrowed fromkaketielje
  3. English todaycockatiel

From Dutch kaketielje, possibly a diminutive of kaketoe (“cockatoo”) or derived in Dutch from a diminutive of Portuguese cacatua (“cockatoo”) such as cacatilho or cacatelho. Attested in English since the mid nineteenth century.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.