Blue-Winged Kookaburra
/ˌbluː ˈwɪŋd ˌkʊkəˈbʌrə/noun
A large Australian kingfisher, Dacelo leachii, distinguished by blue markings on its wings and rump.
Did you know?Kookaburra comes from Wiradjuri gugubarra, a name traditionally understood as imitating the bird’s famous, humanlike laughing call.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“To shine, flash, or burn; the ancient root associated with the color-word behind blue.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*blæwaz
“Blue-colored; the Germanic ancestor of blue.”
Old English
Old English
blǣwen
“Blue or bluish in color.”
Middle English
Middle English
bleu / blew
“Blue; forms influenced by Old French bleu and related Germanic vocabulary.”
19th Century
Wiradjuri
gugubarra
“The Indigenous Australian name imitating or representing the kookaburra’s call.”
Modern English
English
blue-winged kookaburra
“The established common name for Dacelo leachii, an Australian kingfisher.”