Etymology Map
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Parrot

3 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means a colourful tropical bird that can mimic speech

Where does the word "parrot" come from? It comes from Old French Perrot, passing through Old French before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
Perrot
Old French · medieval
"little Pierre"
a pet form of the name Pierre, possibly given to the talking bird
2
Stage 2 of 3
perroquet
Old French · medieval
"parrot"
parrots imported from Africa and Asia were exotic pets
3
Stage 3 of 3
parrot
English · 1500s
"parrot"
'parrot' meaning to repeat mindlessly dates from the 1500s
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Read the full story

Parrot’s story begins in Old French: Perrot meant “little Pierre.” A pet form of the name Pierre, possibly given to the talking bird. Within Old French, it grew into perroquet by medieval. Parrots imported from Africa and Asia were exotic pets. It reached English by 1500s as parrot. 'parrot' meaning to repeat mindlessly dates from the 1500s. Today, parrot means a colourful tropical bird that can mimic speech.