popinjay

The story

1. Arabic · derived fromبَبْغَاء“parrot”
2. Old Occitan · derived frompapagay
3. Anglo-Norman · derived frompapegai
4. Middle English · inherited frompopinjay
5. English todaypopinjay

From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ, “parrot”), of imitative origin.

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c.; in heraldry from 15th c. A parrot.
• 14th–16th c. A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc.
• from 16th c. A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial.
• from 16th c. A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage.
• from 19th c. The green woodpecker, Picus viridis.