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Where does the word "yakka" come from? It comes from Yagara yaga, and was adopted directly into English (1840s).
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Where does the word "yakka" come from? It comes from Yagara yaga, and was adopted directly into English (1840s).
Yakka’s story begins in Yagara: yaga meant “work.” Work, labor. It reached English by 1840s as yakka. From the Yagara language of the Brisbane area; 'hard yakka' is common Australian slang. Today, yakka means hard work, especially manual labor, in Australian and New Zealand slang.
- Stage 1 · Yagara · 1800s yaga "work", work, labor.
- Stage 2 · English · 1840s yakka "hard work", from the Yagara language of the Brisbane area; 'hard yakka' is common Australian slang.