Kangarooing
/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈruː.ɪŋ/noun
Moving or jumping like a kangaroo, or engaging in a kangaroo-like activity.
Did you know?The popular story that kangaroo means “I don’t understand” is a myth; English records preserve a form of the Guugu Yimidhirr word gangurru.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1770
Guugu Yimidhirr
gangurru
“A large black or gray kangaroo; an Indigenous Australian animal name”
1770
English transcription
gangurru
“The form recorded by Joseph Banks during Cook’s voyage on the Australian coast”
1770
English
kanguru
“An early English rendering of the Indigenous name”
18th Century
English
kangaroo
“The familiar English name for the Australian marsupial”
Modern English
English
kangaroo
“A large Australian marsupial that moves by powerful hopping”
Modern English
English
kangarooing
“Jumping, moving, or behaving like a kangaroo”
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