The names of many of our iconic plants and animals come from Aboriginal words, including: kookaburra – from the Wiradjuri word gugubarra. kangaroo – from the Guugu Yimithirr word gangurru. bilby – from the Ullaroi word bilba.
But what else do you know about this chuckling feathered friend from the land Down Under? Kookaburra is an Australian aboriginal word – guuguubarra – that describes the laughing sound the bird makes.
The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, onomatopoeic of its call. The loud, distinctive call of the laughing kookaburra is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve an Australian bush setting or tropical jungle, especially in older movies.
The word koala emerged from Aboriginal words for “no water” or “no drink.” Some of the original names include kaola, koala, colah, coola, colo, coloo, koolewong and koobor, according to koalainfo.com.
A survey of newspapers in July 2007 found that the most common Aboriginal word is 'kangaroo', followed by 'wallaby' (which might be influenced by the rugby team of the same name), 'waratah' (also a rugby team), 'koala', 'billabong', 'kookaburra', 'dingo' and 'wombat'.
Unacceptable terms
Assimilationist terms such as 'full-blood,' 'half-caste' and 'quarter-caste' are extremely offensive and should never be used when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Pap(a) is also found as 'mother', mainly in Victoria. Other kinship roots (for grandparents) have been shown to have a split distribution with one root dominating in the east and one in the west for what is apparently a single proto-meaning.
Yaama ganungawu, gugurrgaagaa is the word for kookaburra.
The name "wombat" comes from the now-nearly extinct Dharug language spoken by the aboriginal Dharug people, who originally inhabited the Sydney area.
Wilai is the Awabakal word for possum, karingkareyang is the Awabakal word for cloak and turool is the Awabakal word for heal. Language is such a significant part of Aboriginal culture.
The word comes from the Wiradjuri Aboriginal word “Guuguuburra,” which represents the sound of a person's laugh. That distinct call sets it apart from other birds, just as the hyena's laugh sets it apart from other mammals. As a result, many Aboriginal legends and myths surround the kookaburra.
Kaka or Kaa-kaa is the Noongar name for a Laughing Kookaburra.
Their call is used to establish territory among family groups, most often at dawn and dusk. One bird starts with a low, hiccuping chuckle, then throws its head back in raucous laughter. Often several others join in.
Garru is the Wiradjuri word for Magpie. Garru is a very important budyaan (bird) in our country.
Often heard at night, the bird's distinctive call has been described as akin to the call of a screaming woman or baby. In many Australian Aboriginal cultures Bush Stone-curlews have close associations with death and features in many Aboriginal stories across Australia.
Bunjil, also spelt Bundjil, is a creator deity, culture hero and ancestral being, often depicted as a wedge-tailed eagle in Australian Aboriginal mythology of some of the Aboriginal peoples of Victoria.
There are numerous names in Aboriginal languages including Kooelwong, Colo, Coloo, Coola, Colah, koobor, Koolah and Kaola.
The name "dingo" comes from the Dharug language used by the Indigenous Australians of the Sydney area. The first British colonists to arrive in Australia in 1788 established a settlement at Port Jackson and noted "dingoes" living with indigenous Australians.
The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of the Aboriginal people of Victoria, in South-Eastern Australia. The word bunyip is usually translated by Aboriginal Australians today as "devil" or "evil spirit".
Meanwhile, “yaama” means “hello” in the Gamilaraay language spoken in northern NSW.
The magpies' boastful singing each morning is to remind everybody of their important role in creation. Its unique song is reflected in its Noongar name: "Coolbardie". The mining town of Coolgardie means "magpie" in the Goldfields Aboriginal dialect.
'Barrandhang is the Wiradjuri word for Koala, and they love living and eating gum leaves merrily.
Aboriginal people refer to an Elder as 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'. However, it is recommended that non-Aboriginal people check the appropriateness of their use of these terms as referring to an Elder or leader as Aunty or Uncle may not be appropriate for an outsider unless a strong relationship has been established.
'Aborigine' is a noun for an Aboriginal person (male or female).
Acknowledgement of Country should be everyone's responsibility. Why is the term "Aunty" and "Uncle" used so widely in the Aboriginal Community? Put simply - RESPECT! It also relates to recognition of Aboriginal Elders, kinship and extended families.