General
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The Thai general name for the Psittaculidae is นกแก้ว nók-kâeew; the English general name for the Psittaculidae (Old World Parrots) is 'parrot'. This has led to a widespread perception that นกแก้ว nók-kâeew means 'parrot', and that is how it is routinely translated into English today. Consequently, นกแก้วเล็ก nók kâeew lék 'small parrot' is used to translate English 'parakeet'.
However, in Thailand and mainland South and Southeast Asia in general, the largest and typically most visible native psittacids are, in fact, Psittacula parakeets. It is the names for these parakeets (and not parrots) which developed into the vernacular general names for the Psittaculidae as a wider grouping. Therefore as with Malay bayan, นกแก้ว nók-kâeew is glossed 'parakeet'. This is evidently also its ornithological meaning in the species names cited here. The Thai usage is quite straightforward and the confusion occurs only in the choice of English translations.
นกหก nók hòk 'inverted bird' is used for hanging parrots. หก hòk here means 'inverted; upside down' and refers to the fact that these little parrots can even sleep hanging upside down like bats. The name has also been extended to the Blue-rumped Parrot.
The former ornithological family name for the Psittaculidae (pre-H&M4 name) is วงศ์นกแก้ว woŋ nók kâeew 'parakeet family'. More recently in (22, 23) the family name วงศ์นกแก้วและนกหก woŋ nók kâeew láe nók hòk 'parakeet and hanging-parrot family' includes both groups of native species.
All psittaculids make great pets and they have been widely traded for many centuries. Thai people are familiar with many different kinds of exotic parrots, and several names for extralimital species have been borrowed from other languages, especially Malay:
นกแขกเต้า nók kʰàeek-tâw 'cockatoo' is related to the Malay name kakatua. In Thai the name usually means 'cockatoo', but it can also be used as a general name for any parrot.
นกกระตั้ว nók krà-tûa 'cockatoo'.
นกโนรี nók noo-rii 'lory' is from an old Malay name which is today pronounced variously as nuri, nori, luri, and lori. (English as 'lory' is also borrowed from this same name.) The Thai borrowing is old and the name also occurs in นกเขาโนรี nók kʰăw noo-rii 'lory-dove' which is used for Macropygia cuckoo-doves (Columbidae).
Other general names for parrots include:
นกปากขอ nók pàak-kʰŏaa 'hook-bill (bird)' (popularly used as a general name for 'parrot').
เบญจวรรณ been-cà-wan 'parrot' (from Indic word 'five-coloured').
Species names
| PSITTACULINAE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
THAI |
OTHER S. E. ASIAN |
EAST ASIAN |
|||||
| PSITTACULINI | ||||||||
| Psittinus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Thai |
Other Th |
Malaysian |
Indonesian |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Psittinus cyanurus |
Blue-rumped parrot | นกหกใหญ่ nók hòk yày 'large inverted bird' |
Burung Puling 'bluerumpparrot (bird)' (old, 26, 28) Burung Pialing 'bluerumpparrot (bird)' (old) Burung Bayan Puling 'bluerumpparrot parakeet (bird)' (old, 24, 24a, 25) Burung Tanau 'bluerumpparrot (bird)' (old) Burung Bayan Tanau 'bluerumpparrot parakeet (bird)' |
Burung Nuri Tanau 'bluerumpparrot lory (bird)' |
Chim Vẹt đuôi ngắn 'short-tailed parakeet (bird)' (12, 34) |
蓝腰鹦鹉 (藍腰鸚鵡) 'blue-rumped parrot' |
ルリゴシインコ (琉璃腰鸚哥 ~ 瑠璃腰鸚哥) ruri-goshi inko 'lapiz lazuli-rumped parakeet' |
|
| Psittacula | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Thai |
Other Th |
Malaysian |
Indonesian |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Japanese |
| Psittacula finschii |
Grey-headed parakeet | นกกะลิง nók kà-liŋ 'kà-liŋ bird (cf treepie)' |
นกกะแล nók kà-laee 'kà-laee bird' (alt in 21) |
Burung Bayan Kepala Kelabu 'grey-headed parakeet (bird)' (24) |
Psittacula himalayana finschii (12): Chim Vẹt đầu xám 'grey-headed parakeet (bird)' (12, 34) |
灰头鹦鹉 (灰頭鸚鵡) 'grey-headed parrot'  Taxonomy |
ズグロコセイインコ (頭黒小青鸚哥) zu-guro ko-sei-inko 'black-headed small blue/green parakeet' |
|
| Psittacula roseata |
Blossom-headed parakeet | นกแก้วหัวแพร nók kâeew hŭa-pʰraee 'silk-headed parakeet (bird)' |
Burung Bayan Bali 'Balinese parakeet (bird)' (24) |
Chim Vẹt đầu hồng 'rose-headed parakeet (bird)' (12, 13, 34) |
花头鹦鹉 (花頭鸚鵡) 'flower-headed parrot' |
バライロコセイインコ (薔薇色小青鸚哥) bara-iro ko-sei-inko 'rose-coloured small blue/green parakeet' |
||
| Psittacula alexandri |
Red-breasted parakeet Moustached parakeet |
นกแขกเต้า nók kʰàeek-tâw 'cockatoo (bird)' |
นกแก้วเล็ก nók kâeew lék 'small parrot' (21) |
Burung Bayan 'parakeet (bird)' (shared with Psittacula longicauda) (old) Burung Bayan Dada Merah 'red-breasted parakeet (bird)' (26, 28) Burung Bayan Api 'fire parakeet (bird)' (24, 25) (introduced) |
Burung Betet Biasa 'common parakeet (bird)' Burung Betet 'parakeet (bird)' (old, 29) |
Chim Vẹt ngực đỏ 'red-breasted parakeet (bird)' (12, 13, 34) |
绯胸鹦鹉 (緋胸鸚鵡) 'scarlet-breasted parrot' |
ダルマインコ (達磨鸚哥) daruma-inko 'dharma parakeet' |
| Psittacula eupatria |
Alexandrine parakeet | นกแก้วโม่ง nók kâeew môoŋ 'masked-bandit parakeet (bird)' |
Burung Bayan Budiman 'wise parakeet (bird)' (24) |
Chim Vẹt má vàng 'yellow-cheeked parakeet (bird)' (12, 34) |
阿历山大鹦鹉 (阿歷山大鸚鵡) 'Alexander parrot' (introduced) (4, 5) |
オオホンセイインコ (大本青鸚哥) ō hon-sei-inko 'large true blue/green parakeet' |
||
| Psittacula krameri |
Rose-ringed parakeet | นกแก้วแหวนสีกุหลาบ nók kâeew wăeen-sĭi-kù-làap 'rose-ringed parakeet (bird)' |
Burung Bayan Lepas 'released/escaped parakeet (bird)' (24, 26, 28) (introduced) |
Chim Vẹt cổ hồng 'rose-necked parakeet (bird)' (12, 34) |
红领绿鹦鹉 (紅領綠鸚鵡) 'red-collared green parrot' |
ホンセイインコ (本青鸚哥) hon-sei-inko 'true blue/green parakeet' |
||
| LORIINAE | ||||||||
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
THAI |
OTHER S. E. ASIAN |
EAST ASIAN |
|||||
| AGAPORNITHINI | ||||||||
| Loriculus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Thai |
Other Th |
Malaysian |
Indonesian |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Japanese |
| Loriculus vernalis |
Vernal hanging parrot Vernal hanging-parrot |
นกหกเล็กปากแดง nók hòk lék pàak daeeŋ 'red-billed small inverted bird' |
Burung Serindit Rambai 'rambai hangingparrot (bird)' (25) Burung Bayan Rambai 'rambai parakeet (bird)' (24) |
Chim Vẹt lùn 'dwarf parakeet (bird)' (12, 34) |
短尾鹦鹉 (短尾鸚鵡) 'short-tailed parrot' |
ミドリサトウチョウ (緑砂糖鳥) midori satō-chō 'green sugar-bird' |
||
| Loriculus galgulus | Blue-crowned hanging parrot Blue-crowned hanging-parrot |
นกหกเล็กปากดำ nók hòk lék pàak dam 'black-billed small inverted bird' |
Burung Serindit 'hangingparrot (bird)' (old, 26, 28. alt in 24) Burung Serindit Biasa 'common hangingparrot (bird)' (25) Burung Bayan Kecil 'small parakeet (bird)' (24) |
Burung Serindit Melayu 'Malayan hangingparrot (bird)' |
蓝顶短尾鹦鹉 (藍頂短尾鸚鵡) 'blue-capped short-tailed parrot' (4) 蓝冠短尾鹦鹉 (藍冠短尾鸚鵡) 'blue-crowned short-tailed parrot' (5, 10) |
サトウチョウ (砂糖鳥) satō-chō 'sugar bird' |
||
Mostly from Robinson (& Chasen) 1927-1939 v1-4; additions from Madoc 1947 (et.seq.), and Glenister 1951 (both mostly names copied from Robinson)
Rambai is the popular fruit of Baccaurea motleyana tree; rambai ~ rambi borrowed into English
หก hòk here means 'inverted; upside down' and refers to the fact that these little parrots can even sleep hanging upside down like bats.
Older sources report a set of related, dialectal names for hanging parrot: serindit (written variously as serindit, selindit, sarindit, and salindit; compare Javanese srindhit). The unmodified name referred originally to whichever single species of Loriculus was found locally.
Some sources (following 24, 25) insert bayan 'parakeet' into each of their Psittaculinae and Loriinae names. Normally, bayan is only used in names for birds called 'parakeet' in English, especially Psittacula parakeets.
'Cockatoo' and the scientific name Cacatua were borrowed from Malay kakatua. Today kakatua is widely used for any bird called 'cockatoo' in English, but formerly it could also have a more general meaning of 'large parrot'.
Older sources report a set of related, dialectal names for Blue-rumped Parrot: puling (written variously as puling, pulin, and buling) and pialing (written pialing and pialin). Puling is mispelt as puting in (24, 25) and as perling (=starling) in an older source.
Nuri (written variously as nuri, nori, luri, and lori) originally meant 'lory', and the Malay name was borrowed into English as 'lory'. Today nuri is widely used in names for any bird called 'parrot' in English.
The unmodified name bayan referred originally to whichever single species of Psittacula was found locally. In West Malaysia and Singapore that species was Psittacula longicauda, but unmodified bayan was also extended to introduced Psittacula alexandri. Popularly bayan is used in names for any bird called 'parakeet' in English.
Unmodified betet originally referred only to Psittacula alexandri on Java where the name was borrowed from Javanese bËthËt. Today, Indonesian betet is used in names for any bird called 'parakeet' in English.
The name is a literary allusion to the famed Hikayat Bayan Budiman, 'Tales of the Wise Parakeet', the 14th century Malay version of The Parrot's Seventy Tales
แขกเต้า kʰàeek-tâw 'cockatoo' is related to the Malay name kakatua. In Thai the name usually means 'cockatoo', but it can also be used as a general name for any parrot.
世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002
世界鸟类名称（拉丁文、汉文、英文对照）第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002
Pocket Checklist of the Birds of the Republic of Singapore / Senai Jenis-Jenis Burung di Singapura / 新加坡野鸟目录 by Lim Kim Seng Nature Society (Singapore) 1999
Danh Lục Chim Việt Nam (In lần thứ hai) (Checklist of the Birds of Vietnam) Võ Quý, Nguyễn Cử, Nhà Xuất Bản Nông Nghiệp, Hà Nội 1999
Chim Việt Nam Nguyễn Cử, Lê Trọng Trải, Karen Phillipps; Nhà Xuất Bản Lao Động - Xã Hội, 2000
นกในเมืองไทย รศ. โอภาส ขอบเขตต (Birds in Thailand, Assoc. Prof. Obhas Khobkhet), in 5 volumes, Sarakadee Press, Bangkok, 1998-2001
นกเมืองไทย (Birds [of] Thailand) by จารุจินต์ นภีตะภัฏ, กานต์ เลขะกุล, วัชระ สงวนสมบติ (Jarujin Nabhitabata, Karn Lekagul, Wachara Sanguansombat), คณะบุคคล นายแพทย์ บุญส่ง เลขะกุล (Dr Boonsong Lekagul Group), Bangkok 2007
นกเมืองไทย (Birds [of] Thailand) by จารุจินต์ นภีตะภัฏ, กานต์ เลขะกุล, วัชระ สงวนสมบติ (Jarujin Nabhitabata, Karn Lekagul, Wachara Sanguansombat), คณะบุคคล นายแพทย์ บุญส่ง เลขะกุล (Dr Boonsong Lekagul Group), Bangkok 2012
Senarai Nama-nama Burung Semenanjung Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Perhilitan (Jabatam Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara, Semenanjung Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 1981
List of the Names of Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Southeast Asia by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1981
Previously online version of: Senarai Nama-nama Burung Semenanjung Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Perhilitan (Jabatam Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara, Semenanjung Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 1981
List of the Names of Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Southeast Asia by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1981
The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Vol. 1 - Non-passerines by Wells, David R., Academic Press, London 1999
A Field Guide to the Birds of West Malaysia and Singapore by Jeyarajasingam, Allen and Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1999
A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore (second edition) by Jeyarajasingham, Allen, Illustrations by Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2012
A Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali (second edition) by MacKinnon, John, Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogyakarta 1990
Danh Lục Các Loài Chim ở Việt Nam (Latinh, Việt, Pháp, Hán) Trần Văn Chánh 2008-2009
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