Kangaroo
/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈruː/noun
A large Australian marsupial with powerful hind legs, a long tail, and a pouch for carrying its young.
Did you know?The name was recorded by Captain James Cook’s expedition in 1770 after contact with speakers of Guugu Yimidhirr in northeastern Australia; the “kangaroo means I don’t know” story has no reliable historical basis.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1770
Guugu Yimidhirr
gangurru
“A local term for a large dark or grey kangaroo, according to modern reconstructions of the source language.”
1770
English
kanguru
“The form recorded by Joseph Banks and other members of Cook’s expedition after encountering the animal and its Indigenous name.”
1770s
English
kangaroo
“The spelling that emerged in English as the word entered descriptions of Australia and its wildlife.”
18th Century
French
kangourou
“A French borrowing of the English or Australian term for the marsupial.”
Modern English
English
kangaroo
“The standard English name for several large hopping marsupials, especially those of the genus Macropus and related genera.”