Caique
/keɪk/; also /kaɪk/ for the parrotnoun
A small, narrow boat traditionally used in the eastern Mediterranean, or a small parrot of the genus Pionites.
Did you know?The boat sense entered English through French from Ottoman Turkish, while the parrot sense is a separate borrowing associated with South American birds.
Etymological Timeline
Early Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
kayık
“A small boat or skiff”
Ancient Greek / Byzantine Greek
Greek
καΐκι (kaïki)
“A small boat, borrowed from Turkish”
17th Century
Italian
caicco
“A small Mediterranean vessel”
17th Century
French
caïque
“A small boat used in the eastern Mediterranean”
18th Century
English
caique
“A small Mediterranean sailing boat”
Modern English
English
caique
“A Mediterranean boat; also a small South American parrot”