# galah
## English
### Etymology

From Gamilaraay gilaa.
* (fool): A connection with Malay gila (“mad”) has been suggested, but this explanation has not gained acceptance.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡəˈlɑː/
* Audio (General Australian):(file)

### Noun

galah (plural galahs)
* A member of species Eolophus roseicapilla of pink and grey species of cockatoos, native to Australia.
    Synonyms: pink and grey cockatoo, roseate cockatoo, rose-breasted cockatoo
** 1879 September 27, The Queenslander, Brisbane, page 397, column 1:The change is pleasant in many ways; the grass is better and there is a good road to travel on; pigeons in crowds fly all around, galahs and other birds make merry everywhere.
** 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 434:There were red-tailed cockatoos, casuarina cockatoos, a little corella and a galah.
** 2005, David Lindenmayer, Mark A. Burgman, Practical Conservation Biology, page 175:The Galah has benefited from changes in the environment brought about by human activities (Rowley, 1990; Saunders and Ingram, 1995; Forshaw, 2002). The Galah′s diet is predominantly seeds, especially those from cereal crops and agricultural weeds.
** 2024, Russell McGregor, Enchantment by Birds, Melbourne: Scribe, page 16:Yet the beauty of Galahs is still often underappreciated.
* (Australia, slang) A fool, an idiot.
    Synonym: drongo
    That galah nearly drove me off the road.
** 1991, Patricia Shaw, River of the Sun, unnumbered page:‘Don′t just stand there, you great galah, lend a hand here!’ Billy Kemp shoved Edmund towards the longboat. ‘Get it free. The lads are bringing up the casks.’
** 1999, Bryce Courtenay, Solomon's Song, unnumbered page:‘But, Sergeant, I reckon a man would look a proper galah falling about with an empty rifle, going click, click, click, “bang you′re dead” when he wasn′t doing rifle drill on parade, like when it′s not official, know what I mean?’ one of the infantrymen volunteers.
** 2006, John Chalmers, The Professional Guest, page 13:‘ […] Then you will strut around like a great galah tryin′ to impress the sheilas about what a fuckin′ big iron ore miner you are.’
** 2020, "Moments of Silence", in Taskmaster, series 10, episode 8, Channel 4, character scripts in The Smart Steak:
    Nicky: 'Of course I came. You called me. I am here to help you.' (NICKY sneezes) / Sam: 'You called this galah?'

#### Derived terms

* galah session

#### Descendants

* → Dutch: galah

#### Translations
### See also

* cockatiel
* cockatoo
* corella

### References

* ↑ Australian National Dictionary Centre Home » Australian words » Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms » F

## Dutch
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English galah.

### Noun

galah m (plural galahs, diminutive galahtje n)
* Synonym of roze kaketoe

## Malay
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡalah/
* Rhymes: -alah, -lah, -ah

### Noun

galah (Jawi spelling ݢاله, plural galah-galah, informal 1st possessive galahku, 2nd possessive galahmu, 3rd possessive galahnya)
* pole, stake

### Further reading

* “galah” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.