English word origin

Etymology of emu

Probably from Portuguese ema (“(originally) cassowary; rhea bird”).

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 native to Australia, Dromaius novaehollandiae. · A cassowary (genus Casuarius).

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

Probably from Portuguese ema (“(originally) cassowary; rhea bird”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionemapt · (originally) cassowary; rhea bird

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "taxfmt",
      "args": {
        "1": "Dromaius novaehollandiae",
        "2": "species"
      },
      "expansion": "Dromaius novaehollandiae"
    },
    {
      "name": "q",
      "args": {
        "1": "originally"
      },
      "expansion": "(originally)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pt",
        "3": "ema",
        "t": "(originally) cassowary; rhea bird"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese ema (“(originally) cassowary; rhea bird”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Dromaius novaehollandiae",
      "Dromaius novaehollandiae#Translingual"
    ],
    [
      "ema",
      "ema#Portuguese"
    ],
    [
      "rhea",
      "rhea"
    ],
    [
      "bird",
      "bird"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "エミュー",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "word": "emu",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A large flightless bird native to Australia, Dromaius novaehollandiae.",
        "A cassowary (genus Casuarius)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "1644814721b1ee8f390f0fe57561766855407ee5d3cf14baeef6a96c6f09334c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f432b4026ef236490296646a5dbe45b63f74fd1c10dbe249d17cdce04dc8056a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 136928
    }
  ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Initialism of electromagnetic unit.

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

From e(lectro)m(agnetic) u(nit).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "e(lectro)m(agnetic) u(nit)",
      "electromagnetic unit#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Initialism of electromagnetic unit."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "initialism"
      ],
      "recordId": "29566b92a8fcdbf9e1b6e0f66886f904377d1c87fca5a8a411c1b9430013b4b3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9d5a219eb0123a775af004b9b06a5ff6a3d049a67480e63e826bd30ee6b02767",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 136929
    }
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of emulator.

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

From emu(lator).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "emu(lator)",
      "emulator#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of emulator."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "823204db24897b73f958d1a1f1b83e28090de50f103f52d6c7682d27b74cbf91",
      "rawRecordSha256": "94915228ddeceb417fc276a276ac8849e4aee34a7ed458ce4917506066852a31",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 136930
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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 emu →

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-ZW11