Index: Lib/_abcoll.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/_abcoll.py	(revision 82435)
+++ Lib/_abcoll.py	(working copy)
@@ -480,16 +480,22 @@
         except KeyError:
             pass
 
-    def update(self, other=(), **kwds):
-        if isinstance(other, Mapping):
-            for key in other:
-                self[key] = other[key]
-        elif hasattr(other, "keys"):
-            for key in other.keys():
-                self[key] = other[key]
-        else:
-            for key, value in other:
-                self[key] = value
+    def update(self, *args, **kwds):
+        if args:
+            if len(args) > 1:
+                raise TypeError("update expected at most 1 "
+                                "positional argument")
+            other = args[0]
+            if isinstance(other, Mapping):
+                for key in other:
+                    self[key] = other[key]
+            elif hasattr(other, "keys"):
+                for key in other.keys():
+                    self[key] = other[key]
+            else:
+                for key, value in other:
+                    self[key] = value
+
         for key, value in kwds.items():
             self[key] = value
 
Index: Lib/test/test_collections.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_collections.py	(revision 82435)
+++ Lib/test/test_collections.py	(working copy)
@@ -758,6 +758,16 @@
         od.update([('a', 1), ('b', 2), ('c', 9), ('d', 4)], c=3, e=5)
         self.assertEqual(list(od.items()), pairs)                                   # mixed input
 
+        # Issue 9137: A named argument called 'other' shouldn't be
+        # treated specially.
+        od = OrderedDict()
+        od.update(other={})
+        self.assertEqual(list(od.items()), [('other', {})])
+        od = OrderedDict()
+        od.update(red=5, blue=6, other=7)
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(list(od.items())),
+                         [('blue', 6), ('other', 7), ('red', 5)])
+
         # Make sure that direct calls to update do not clear previous contents
         # add that updates items are not moved to the end
         d = OrderedDict([('a', 1), ('b', 2), ('c', 3), ('d', 44), ('e', 55)])