Cockatoo
/ˌkɒk.əˈtuː/noun
A crested parrot of the Australasian region, often with a strong curved bill and loud call.
Did you know?Cockatoo entered English through Dutch and Malay contact in the age of trade, showing how colonial routes carried not just goods but animal names that stuck.
Etymological Timeline
Malay / Indonesian
Malay
kakatua
“A cockatoo; originally the bird’s local name in the Malay world.”
17th Century
Dutch
kaketoe
“A cockatoo, borrowed from Malay by Dutch traders and naturalists.”
17th Century
English
cockatoo
“A crested parrot, especially from Australia and nearby islands.”
Modern English
English
cockatoo
“The familiar name for several species of large, noisy crested parrots.”