List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin
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.
Flora and fauna
- barramundi
- bilby
- bogong
- brolga
- budgerigar
- bunyip
- cunjevoi
- currawong
- dingo
- euro
- galah
- gidgee
- jarrah
- kangaroo
- koala
- kookaburra
- kurrajong
- marri
- mulga
- numbat
- pademelon
- quandong
- quoll
- taipan
- wallaby
- wallaroo
- warrigal
- witchetty grub
- wobbegong
- wombat
- yabby
Objects
- billabong
- boomerang
- cooee
- corroboree
- gibber
- (a boulder)
- humpy
- (a hut)
- waddy
- (a wooden club)
- willy willy
Describing Words
- 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
- woomera
- wurley
- (a hut)
- yabber
- (to talk)
- yakka
- (work)
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 their often asked the names of the area. Some times as a joke they would provide silly names.
- Banka Banka 0760
- Bet Bet 3472
- Bindi Bindi 6574
- Biloela
- Bong Bong 2576
- Boonoo Boonoo 2372
- Booti Booti 2428
- Bril Bril 2441
- Brit Brit 3315
- Budgee Budgee 2850
- Buln Buln 3821
- Cope Cope 3480
- Cowan Cowan 4004
- Curl Curl 2096
- Doon Doon 2484
- Drik Drik 3304
- Elong Elong 2831
- 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
- Murrin Murrin 6438
- Nerrin Nerrin 3351
- Nowa Nowa 3887
- Pindi Pindi 4798
- Pura Pura 3271
- Tilba Tilba 2546
- 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
Aboriginal-sounding words not of Aboriginal origin
- bandicoot
- (from Telugu)
- didgeridoo
- (onomatapoeic)
- goanna
- (corruption of iguana)
- Nullarbor
- (Latin for no trees)
