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Mynah

3 stages from Sanskrit to English.

Today it means Any of several Asian starlings known for their ability to mimic human speech.

Where does the word "mynah" come from? It comes from Sanskrit madana, passing through Hindi before entering English (1769).

1
Stage 1 of 3
madana
Sanskrit · ancient
"delightful, joyful"
root meaning 'delightful, gladdening'
2
Stage 2 of 3
maina
Hindi · medieval
"the mynah bird"
became the name of the talkative songbird
3
Stage 3 of 3
mynah
English · 1769
"a talkative Asian starling known for mimicking speech"
British naturalists in India adopted the Hindi bird name
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