koala

Where does the word "koala" come from? It comes from Dharug gula, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Koala’s story begins in Dharug: gula meant “the koala.” The name for the tree-dwelling marsupial of eastern Australia. It reached English by 1800s as koala. The Dharug word was also spelled 'koolah'; the koala rarely drinks, getting water from eucalyptus leaves. Today, koala means a tree-dwelling Australian marsupial with grey fur, feeding on eucalyptus leaves.

1. Stage 1 · Dharug · ancient gula "the koala", the name for the tree-dwelling marsupial of eastern Australia.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s koala "a tree-dwelling Australian marsupial", the Dharug word was also spelled 'koolah'; the koala rarely drinks, getting water from eucalyptus leaves.