Minah
/ˈmaɪ.nə/noun
A variant spelling of mynah, especially used in Australian English for a starling-like bird.
Did you know?The word ultimately passed into English through Indian languages, where the mynah bird was admired for its remarkable ability to imitate human speech.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
madanā
“A name for the mynah or a related starling-like bird”
Medieval Indian usage
Hindi
mainā
“Mynah bird”
18th Century
Anglo-Indian English
maina
“The Indian mynah bird”
18th Century
English
mynah
“A starling-like bird known for imitating speech”
Modern English
Australian English
minah
“A variant spelling of mynah, particularly in Australian usage”