Conversation

"Ostrich" is etymologically from a two-word Latin phrase, "avis struthio". "Avis struthio" means "ostrich bird".

"struthio" (which means "ostrich") comes from "struthiocamelus", which is from Greek στρουθιοκάμηλος, both of which mean "ostrich". But στρουθιοκάμηλος is built from two other words: στρουθόs, "sparrow" + κάμηλος "camel".

So etymologically, an ostrich is a "sparrow camel bird".