Wallaby
/ˈwɒl.ə.bi/noun
A small- to medium-sized Australian marsupial related to the kangaroo.
Did you know?Wallaby entered English from an Aboriginal language of the Sydney region, commonly identified as Dharuk, making it a linguistic trace of Indigenous Australian knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1788
Dharuk
walaba
“A wallaby; an Aboriginal Australian name recorded in the Sydney region.”
Late 18th Century
English
wallaby
“An Australian marsupial, adopted from local Aboriginal speech.”
19th Century
English
wallaby
“The established English spelling for the animal.”
19th–20th Century
English
wallaroo
“A related Australian marsupial name, probably formed from or influenced by Aboriginal Australian terms such as walaru.”
Modern English
English
wallaby
“A general name for several smaller kangaroo relatives, especially those native to Australia and nearby islands.”