Bidjigal
/ˈbɪdʒɪɡəl/noun
Bidjigal is an Aboriginal ethnonym associated with a traditional people and area of the Sydney region in New South Wales, Australia.
Did you know?Historical sources use several spellings—including Bediagal and Bedegal—and scholars caution that the exact original meaning of the name is not securely documented.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Bidjigal/Dharawal languages
Bidjigal
“An Indigenous ethnonym used within the Sydney-region cultural and linguistic landscape; the precise original sense remains uncertain.”
Late 18th Century
English colonial records
Bediagal
“An early recorded spelling of the name used by European observers in the Sydney area.”
19th Century
Colonial English
Bedegal
“A variant spelling appearing in historical documents, maps, and ethnographic writing.”
20th Century
Australian English
Bidjigal
“A standardized or widely preferred spelling used for the Aboriginal group and associated cultural identity.”
Modern English
Australian English
Bidjigal
“A living Indigenous name used in cultural, historical, community, and place-based contexts.”