galah

Where does the word "galah" come from? It comes from Yuwaalaraay gilaa, and was adopted directly into English (1840s).

Galah’s story begins in Yuwaalaraay: gilaa meant “a pink and grey cockatoo.” The name for the pink-and-grey cockatoo common across Australia. It reached English by 1840s as galah. 'flaming galah' became Australian slang for a noisy fool. Today, galah means a pink and grey Australian cockatoo, or informally, a foolish person.

1. Stage 1 · Yuwaalaraay · 1800s gilaa "a pink and grey cockatoo", the name for the pink-and-grey cockatoo common across Australia.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1840s galah "a pink and grey Australian cockatoo, or informally a fool", 'flaming galah' became Australian slang for a noisy fool.