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A billabong at the Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia (photos by Alberto Otero Garcia) |
BILLABONG
Noun. Australian. Mid-19th century.
[Aboriginal Billibang Bell River, from billa water, bang channel dry except after rain.]
A branch of a river, forming a blind channel, backwater, or stagnant pool.
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"Kakadu-du-du, push pineapple, shake a tree ..." |
I spent 5 years in Oz before coming to Canada.
ReplyDeleteA billabong can also be a waterhole or a place to drink.
I now have the urge to sing Waltzing Matilda!
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong...
When you say 'a place to drink', do you mean it's a term for a pub too?
DeleteI never heard it used as a pub.
DeleteThough there are many pubs called the Billabong!
You know I enjoy a bit of Wikipedia by now and, interestingly, they say that the Etymology of the word: "...is disputed. The word is most likely derived from the indigenous Wiradjuri term "bilabaŋ", which means "a watercourse that runs only after rain" and is derived from "bila", meaning "river",[3] and possibly "bong" or "bung", meaning "dead".[4][5] One source, however, claims that the term is of Scottish Gaelic origin.[6]"
ReplyDeleteInteresting enough to make the corks on your hat sway a little...
I read about the debate while researching this. However, several major dictionaries (Merriam-Webster, Collins, and of course the OED, for example) were all in approximate agreement, with no mention of debate. Therefore, my money would be on the OED in this one : o )
DeleteThere is a brand of clothing I know of called Billabong. I wonder if they know the true meaning of the word.
ReplyDeleteI read about Billabong International when looking this up, Kara - I think they've experienced quite a lot of financial turbulence : o /
DeletePeriods of stagnation at least by the sounds of it...
DeleteBoom, boom! Very good, Kara : o D
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