Tui Bird
/ˈtuː.iː bɜːrd/noun
A small New Zealand songbird, more precisely called the tūī, known for its glossy dark plumage and distinctive white throat tuft.
Did you know?The tūī can mimic other birds, human speech, and mechanical sounds, producing complex calls that early European observers often found uncanny.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European New Zealand
Māori
tūī
“The Māori name for the native New Zealand songbird; the deeper origin of the name is uncertain.”
18th Century
English
New Zealand bird
“European descriptions recorded the species before its Māori name became common in English.”
19th Century
English
tui
“An English borrowing of Māori tūī, with the macron often omitted in older writing.”
19th Century
English
tui bird
“A descriptive English phrase combining the borrowed name with the generic word bird.”
Modern English
English
tūī / tui
“The standard common name for the New Zealand native songbird, with tūī preserving Māori spelling and pronunciation.”