List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin

From Free net encyclopedia

Words of Australian Aboriginal origin, have entered many languages. Many such words have entered Australian English, and are considered native words. Some of those words have in turn been exported from Australian English to other branches of the English language and to other languages. For example: The accepted English common names of a number of species of animal and plant endemic to Australia are simply their Australian Aboriginal names.

Contents

Flora and fauna

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barramundi
bilby
bogong
brolga
budgerigar
bunyip
cunjevoi
currawong
dingo
wallaroo
galah
gidgee

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jarrah
kangaroo
koala
kookaburra
kurrajong
marri
mulga
numbat
pademelon

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quandong
quoll
taipan
wallaby
wallaroo
warrigal
witchetty grub
wobbegong
wombat
yabby

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Objects

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billabong
boomerang
cooee

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corroboree
gibber (a boulder)
humpy (a hut)

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waddy (a wooden club)
willy willy

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Describing words

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jackaroo - a cowboy, jack-of-all-trades+kangaroo to give it an Australian flavour.
jillaroo - a cowgirl, from jack and jill went up the hill...
koori

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woomera
wurley - a hut
yabber - to talk
yakka - work

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Towns' names

In many Aboriginal languages there is a habit of naming things twice, if it was a multiple and towns are places where a lot of people live. During settlement a lot of towns were created quickly and the aborigines already living there were often asked the names of the area. Some times as a joke they would provide silly names.

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Banka Banka 0760
Bet Bet 3472
Bindi Bindi 6574
Bong Bong 2576
Boonoo Boonoo 2372
Booti Booti 2428
Bril Bril 2441
Brit Brit 3315
Budgee Budgee 2850
Buln Buln 3821
Cammeray
Cope Cope 3480
Cowan Cowan 4004
Curl Curl 2096
Doon Doon 2484
Drik Drik 3304
Elong Elong 2831

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Gan Gan 2315
Ghinni Ghinni 2430
Gin Gin 4671
Gingin 6503
Gol Gol 2738
Goonoo Goonoo 2340
Gre Gre 3478
Grong Grong 2652
Gumly Gumly 2652
Jellat Jellat 2550
Ki Ki 5261
Kin Kin 4571
Kundle Kundle 2430
Kurri Kurri 2327
Lal Lal 3352
Lang Lang 3984
Mia Mia 3444
Millaa Millaa 4886
Mitta Mitta 3701
Mooney Mooney 2254
Mooroolbark 3138
Murrin Murrin 6438

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Nerrin Nerrin 3351
Nowa Nowa 3887
Parramatta
Pindi Pindi 4798
Pura Pura 3271
Tilba Tilba 2546
Tootgarook 3941
Topi Topi 2423
Tucki Tucki 2480
Wagga Wagga 2650
Wal Wal 3381
Walla Walla 2659
Wallan Wallan 3756
Wangi Wangi 2267
Whian Whian 2480
Willi Willi 2440
Wood Wood 3596
Wool Wool 3249
Woy Woy 2256

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Aboriginal-sounding words not of Aboriginal origin

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bandicoot 
(from Telugu)
didgeridoo 
(onomatapoeic)

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goanna 
(corruption of iguana)
Nullarbor 
(Latin for no trees)

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