Bedegal
/ˈbɛdɪɡəl/noun
Bedegal is a traditional Aboriginal ethnonym associated with the coastal Sydney region of New South Wales, especially the area around Botany Bay and southern Sydney.
Did you know?Bedegal is often confused with Bidjigal, but historical spellings of Aboriginal ethnonyms varied considerably because early records were written by outsiders unfamiliar with the languages.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Australian Aboriginal languages
Bedegal
“An Indigenous ethnonym used by the people associated with the southern coastal Sydney region; the precise original internal meaning is not securely documented.”
1788
English records
Bedeegal
“An early colonial spelling recorded in descriptions of Aboriginal peoples around the Sydney and Botany Bay region.”
Late 18th–early 19th Century
Colonial English
Bedegal
“A variable English spelling used for the group or territory identified with southern Sydney.”
20th Century
English
Bedegal
“A historically recognized name for an Aboriginal people connected with areas including Botany Bay and surrounding southern Sydney.”
Modern English
English
Bedegal
“A proper name used in historical, cultural, educational, and Indigenous heritage contexts.”