kangaroo

Where does the word "kangaroo" come from? It comes from Guugu Yimithirr gangurru, and was adopted directly into English (1770).

Kangaroo’s story begins in Guugu Yimithirr: gangurru meant “a large grey kangaroo.” The name for a species of large grey kangaroo, recorded by Captain Cook's expedition. It reached English by 1770 as kangaroo. Recorded by Captain Cook's crew near modern Cooktown in 1770. Today, kangaroo means a large hopping marsupial native to Australia.

1. Stage 1 · Guugu Yimithirr · 1770s gangurru "a large grey kangaroo", the name for a species of large grey kangaroo, recorded by Captain Cook's expedition.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1770 kangaroo "a large hopping marsupial", recorded by Captain Cook's crew near modern Cooktown in 1770.