English word origin

Etymology of dodo

Uncertain. Perhaps from obsolete Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”) or Dutch dodaars. First attested in the 17th century.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius. · A person or organisation which is very old or has very old-fashioned views or is not willing to change and adapt. · A hole in one.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Perhaps from obsolete Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”) or Dutch dodaars. First attested in the 17th century.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentiondoudopt
Derivation mentiondodaarsnl

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pt",
        "3": "doudo",
        "4": "",
        "5": "fool, simpleton, silly, stupid"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nl",
        "3": "dodaars"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch dodaars"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "doudo",
      "doudo#Portuguese"
    ],
    [
      "dodaars",
      "dodaars#Dutch"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.",
        "A person or organisation which is very old or has very old-fashioned views or is not willing to change and adapt.",
        "A hole in one."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "recordId": "685fda9ceaf194c7e7a72fc0319b2b611359c974a12f98758eaa0a08253c3d4b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "41f5914a998c1c5f4d0980339b2c72a395a5dff014d8bff06c01de9c23714387",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28833
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Fried plantain.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Yoruba dòdò (“fried plantain”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentiondòdòyo · fried plantain

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yo",
        "3": "dòdò",
        "t": "fried plantain",
        "id": "plantain"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Yoruba dòdò (“fried plantain”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "dòdò",
      "dodo#Yoruba:_plantain"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Fried plantain."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Nigeria",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "2dd037c638fb1855af580629c253ebcbebed746f18ff3d662dc6e9879a005eea",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f9f10777cb0f5bf218f67a8cc100c913eeadc4d42320ac309cbc766a832bea06",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28834
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dodo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZG9kbw