Issue Details: First known date: 2017... 2017 In the Margins of Some Australian Dictionaries : Exploring the Etymology of Berigora
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'There are just three birds whose scientific (Linnæan) name draws on a word of an Australian language. The first and last described are Ninox boobook (Latham 1801) Southern Boobook owl, and Petroica (Muscicapa) boodang (Lesson 1837) Scarlet Robin. Although neither the type descriptions nor Fraser & Gray (2013: 151, 256) specify the source language, from earlier records we can be confident that both species’ names are from the Sydney Language (also known as Eora or Dharug, not spoken as a first language since the 19th century). Boobook, as can be seen from the common name, has survived in Australian English, presumably assisted by its onomatopœia; it was first recorded as Bōkbōk ‘An owl’ in the vocabulary noted by Lieutenant William Dawes in 1790-91, the early English colony at Sydney (Dawes & Anonymous 2009: Notebook b, 3). The word behind the species of P. boodang was first recorded in the caption ‘Crimson-breasted Warbler, native name Bood-dang’ (Port Jackson Painter [between 1788 and 1797]).  (Introduction)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Language, Land and Song : Studies in Honour of Luise Hercus Peter Austin (editor), Harold Koch (editor), Jane Simpson (editor), Australia : Endangered Languages Publishing , 2017 15316152 2017 anthology criticism biography

    'The contributors to this book highlight current practice in language documentation, drawing on insights from anthropology, digital humanities, education, ethnography, history, linguistics and musicology. The book shows how the value of this multi-faceted documentation has become clear over the last 50 years.' (Publication summary)

    Australia : Endangered Languages Publishing , 2017
    pg. 263-274
Last amended 6 Dec 2018 07:50:03
263-274 In the Margins of Some Australian Dictionaries : Exploring the Etymology of Berigorasmall AustLit logo
Subjects:
  • Aboriginal Yuwaalaraay AIATSIS Code: D27 NSW QLD language
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