Cacatua

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large crested parrot native to Australia and nearby regions, typically with white plumage and a distinctive raised crest on its head
2. A substantial bird of the parrot family found in Australasia, characterized by white feathers and an erectile crest that raises when alarmed
3. A white cockatoo-type parrot from Australia and the Indo-Pacific, notable for its prominent head crest and powerful curved beak

Etymology: "Cacatua" is a scientific Latin name for a genus of cockatoos, not a word from classical antiquity. It takes its root from Malay, where "kakatua" is the common name for the bird. European traders carried the Malay word into Dutch as "kaketoe," which became English "cockatoo." Naturalists later gave the Malay-derived name a Latin form, so the scientific term keeps the same root under a classical-looking ending. The Latin spelling sounds alarming to English ears, because "cacare" is a Latin verb meaning "to defecate." The resemblance is coincidental. The Latin letters only dress up a Malay word, but anyone who knows Latin will still hear the echo.