Etymology Map
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Dodo

3 stages from Portuguese to English.

Today it means an extinct flightless bird of Mauritius; something hopelessly outdated

Where does the word "dodo" come from? It comes from Portuguese doudo, passing through Dutch before entering English (1620s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
doudo
Portuguese · 1500s
"fool, simpleton"
one proposed source: Portuguese ships passed Mauritius in the early 1500s, but no Portuguese text actually calls the bird doudo, so this derivation is disputed
2
Stage 2 of 3
dodaars
Dutch · 1598
"plump-rump (also the little grebe)"
the main rival source: Wybrand van Warwijck's Dutch fleet landed on Mauritius in 1598, and Dutch names for the bird included walghvogel 'nauseating bird' and dodaars 'plump-rump'
3
Stage 3 of 3
dodo
English · 1620s
"flightless bird of Mauritius"
Sir Thomas Herbert described the bird in his 1634 travel book; the last widely accepted sighting was in 1662, and 'dead as a dodo' came much later, around 1900
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Dodo’s story begins in Portuguese: doudo meant “fool, simpleton.” One proposed source: Portuguese ships passed Mauritius in the early 1500s, but no Portuguese text actually calls the bird doudo, so this derivation is disputed. By 1598, the word had taken hold in Dutch as dodaars. The main rival source: Wybrand van Warwijck's Dutch fleet landed on Mauritius in 1598, and Dutch names for the bird included walghvogel 'nauseating bird' and dodaars 'plump-rump'. It reached English by 1620s as dodo. Sir Thomas Herbert described the bird in his 1634 travel book; the last widely accepted sighting was in 1662, and 'dead as a dodo' came much later, around 1900. Today, dodo means an extinct flightless bird of Mauritius; something hopelessly outdated.