aracanga

English

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin, erroneously for araracanga, borrowed from Old Tupi arárakáŋa, from arára (“large psittacine, macaw”) + akaŋ (“head”).

Noun

aracanga (plural aracangas)

1. The scarlet macaw.
   • 1819, Abraham Rees, editor, The Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature, volume II, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, […]:

     ARACANGA, in Ornithology, a ſpecies of Psittacus, or parrot, in the Linnæan ſyſtem; the Aracanga of Marcgrave, the Aracanga Maccaw of Willughby, Ara Jamaicenſis of Briſſon, Petit Ara rouge of Buffon, Jamaica Maccaw of Albinus and Brown, red and yellow Maccaw of Bancroft and Latham. It is of a pale ſcarlet colour, with naked wrinkly cheeks;

   • 1837, Charles F[rederick] Partington, editor, The British Cyclopædia of Natural History: Combining a Scientific Classification of Animals, Plants, and Minerals; with a Popular View of Their Habits, Economy, and Structure, third volume, London: […] W. S. Orr & Co., page 394:

     Aracanga Maccaw (M. Aracanga). This species bears considerable resemblance to the last-mentioned; and the two have sometimes been confounded with each other under the common name of red and blue maccaw.

   • 1878, J[ames] Puntis, “The Gem of Moreà”, in Marie de Pontoise and Other Poems, London: W. Poole, section “The Song of Fair Lands”, page 222:

     There gay aracangas / And blue lorikeets swarm, / Ever breathing the love / They constantly feel, / And fan the warm air with their / Gay songs—like a charm, / Working passionate longings, / Which their bright eyes reveal.

   • 1926 February 5, “A Bird Lays Easter Eggs. Product of Aracango in Indiana Will Go to President.”, in The Kansas City Star, volume 46, number 141, Kansas City, Mo., page 11:

     Representative Will Wood of Indiana, Republican, called at the White House today and made arrangements to send Easter eggs laid by the Aracanga, a red and blue macaw.

Related terms

• araracanga