Dharawal
/ˈdɑːrəwɒl/noun
Dharawal is the name of an Aboriginal Australian people and their traditional language of the southern Sydney, Illawarra, and nearby coastal regions.
Did you know?Dharawal is also written Tharawal or Thurawal, reflecting attempts by European recorders to represent sounds from a language that was primarily transmitted orally.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1788
Dharawal
Dharawal
“An Indigenous ethnonym and language name used within the traditional cultural region; its exact original lexical meaning is uncertain.”
Late 18th Century
English records
Tharawal
“An early colonial spelling used for the people and language of the southern Sydney and Illawarra region.”
19th Century
English records
Thurawal
“A variant spelling appearing in historical descriptions and linguistic records.”
20th Century
English
Dharawal
“A standardized modern spelling increasingly used for the people, language, and cultural heritage of the region.”
Modern English
English
Dharawal
“A recognized Aboriginal Australian ethnonym and language name, now also used in cultural, educational, and language-revival contexts.”