Etymology Map
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Quokka

2 stages from Noongar to English.

Today it means a small wallaby found mainly on Rottnest Island, Western Australia

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
gwaga
Noongar · ancient
"quokka"
the Noongar name for the small wallaby of south-western Australia, which survives mainly on Rottnest Island, in Noongar Wadjemup
2
Stage 2 of 2
quokka
English · 1860s
"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'
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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.