What does kangaroo mean in aboriginal?

Answer 1

The mythical story goes that when the first European explorers saw these strange hopping animals, the like of which they had never seen before, they ask the native Australian people, the Aboriginal inhabitance, what these creature were called. They replied "Can-ga-roo" which in their language meant something along the lines of "I don't understand your question". The explorers thought this was an answer to their question, mistaking it for "kangaroo" and the name of the animal. So, henceforth the creature was called "kangaroo".

However, according to the Oceaniaweb factfile, the above story is actually a myth. 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.

Answer 2

Kangaroos within aboriginal art are part of the story being told by the painting. They still mean "kangaroos", but are likely to be part of a hunting story being relayed by the intricate symbolism of the artwork. Aboriginal art was not just decorative, but served the very important purpose of communicating stories that were important to the indigenous people. These stories could have been about hunting exploits of the men, or stories of the 'Dreamtime', or the time of Creation. Animals such as kangaroos featured strongly in these stories, so it was natural that they would be included in artwork that conveyed the stories.