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Yes. The word is believed to have come from the Aboriginal word gangurru, a Guugu Yimidhirr word referring to the Grey Kangaroo. Captain James Cook's botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, first recorded the word as "kangaru" when the Endeavour was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef near modern-day Cooktown.

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The word "kangaroo" is believed to have come from the Aboriginal word gangurru, a Guugu Yimidhirr word referring to the Grey Kangaroo. Captain James Cook's botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, first recorded the word as "kangaru" when the Endeavour was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef near modern-day Cooktown, and required the crew to stay on the mainland for almost 7 weeks repairing their ship.

Other tribes had different names for the kangaroo, and different words for different species of kangaroo. Some of these other words included:

  • badagarang
  • banggarai
  • buduru
  • wulaba
  • wularu
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Q: What is the aboriginal word for the kangaroo?
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Is the word kangaroo from Australia?

Yes. The word "kangaroo" is believed to have come from the Aboriginal word gangurru, a Guugu Yimidhirr word referring to the Grey Kangaroo.


What is kangaroo in aboriginal language?

There are many words for kangaroo in the Australian aboriginal language. The Aborigines of Australia had over 250 languages between their 600+ cultural groups prior to European settlement.The most commonly known word is gangurru. It is the word from which "kangaroo" is derived.


What aboriginal food are there?

kangaroo emu


What is the aboriginal name for the red kangaroo?

This depended on the locality in Australia and the aboriginal tribe.The word "kangaroo" itself is believed to have come from the Aboriginal word gangurru, a Guugu Yimidhirr word referring to the Grey Kangaroo. Captain James Cook's botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, first recorded the word as "kangaru" when the Endeavour was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef near modern-day Cooktown, and required the crew to stay on the mainland for almost 7 weeks repairing their ship.Other tribes had different names for the kangaroo, and different words for different species of kangaroo. Some of these other words included:badagarangbanggaraibuduruwulabawularu


What does a kangaroo's name mean?

The word 'kangaroo' does not mean anything.It is merely the word used by various aboriginal tribes to describe the largest marsupial.Various myths include that it means (in aboriginal dialect):I don't understand what you're sayingThat's your index fingerNone of these, however, is true. The scientific name for the kangaroo family is Macropodidae. "Macropod" means big-footed.


How did the word kangaroo become part of the English language?

The word "kangaroo" is believed to have come from the Aboriginal word gangurru, a Guugu Yimidhirr word referring to the Grey Kangaroo. Captain James Cook's botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, first recorded the word as "kangaru" when the Endeavour was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef near modern-day Cooktown, and required the crew to stay on the mainland for almost 7 weeks repairing their ship. This gave Banks ample time to make copious notes on the fauna and flora, and to be certain of the Aboriginal word for kangaroo, even though he had trouble translating it into written form. It could be that "Kangaroo" is the name of a specific type of kangaroo in one Australian aboriginal language. Europeans applied the name to all similar creatures. The story that the word kangaroo means "I don't know" is a complete myth.


What is the most common aboriginal food?

the most common aboriginal food is kangaroo


What aboriginal tribe inhabited Kangaroo Point?

Kangaroo Point was inhabited by the people of the Yuggeratribe.


Which animal is the Australian aboriginal word for 'you don't know'?

There is a legend that the word 'kangaroo' means 'I don't know' in Australian aboriginal. But this has not been proven. See this site for more info http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_236.html


What does the name kangaroo mean?

The grey kangaroo's name does not mean anything. It is simply the word used by various aboriginal tribes to refer to this animal.Various myths which are untrue include that it means (in aboriginal dialect):I don't understand what you're sayingThat's your index fingerThe scientific name for the kangaroo family is Macropodidae. "Macropod" means big-footed.


What does the grey kangaroo's name mean?

The grey kangaroo's name does not mean anything. It is simply the word used by various aboriginal tribes to refer to this animal.Various myths which are untrue include that it means (in aboriginal dialect):I don't understand what you're sayingThat's your index fingerThe scientific name for the kangaroo family is Macropodidae. "Macropod" means big-footed.


Who descoverd kangaroo?

Aboriginal Australians lived in Australia with kangaroo's long before Europeans. Since the Aboriginal people kept no written history, we cannot narrow it down to a single person.