quokka

Where does the word "quokka" come from? It comes from Noongar gwaga, and was adopted directly into English (1860s).

Quokka’s story begins in Noongar: gwaga meant “quokka.” The Noongar name for the small wallaby of south-western Australia, which survives mainly on Rottnest Island, in Noongar Wadjemup. It reached English by 1860s as quokka. Adopted from Noongar; long before, in 1696, Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh took the animals for giant rats and named the island Rottnest, 'rats' nest'. Today, quokka means a small wallaby found mainly on Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

1. Stage 1 · Noongar · ancient gwaga "quokka", the Noongar name for the small wallaby of south-western Australia, which survives mainly on Rottnest Island, in Noongar Wadjemup.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1860s quokka "small wallaby", adopted from Noongar; long before, in 1696, Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh took the animals for giant rats and named the island Rottnest, 'rats' nest'.