Warragul
/ˈwɒrəɡʌl/noun
An Australian English term for a dingo or wild dog, also used in Australian place names.
Did you know?Warragul is closely associated with the Aboriginal-derived word warrigal, recorded in colonial Australia for a dingo or other wild dog, while its precise source language is debated.
Etymological Timeline
Before European settlement
Australian Aboriginal languages
warigal / warigul
“A form recorded in Aboriginal languages for a wild dog or dingo; the exact source language is uncertain.”
1790s
Australian English
warrigal
“A wild dog or dingo, adopted into the English of early colonial Australia.”
19th Century
Australian English
warrigal / warrigul
“Variant spellings used for the Aboriginal-derived term referring to a dingo or wild dog.”
1870s
English place-name usage
Warragul
“A place-name in Victoria, Australia, probably drawn from the same Aboriginal word family, though the exact local source and meaning are not certain.”
Modern English
Australian English
Warragul
“Primarily a proper noun for the Victorian town; the common noun survives mainly in historical, regional, or dictionary contexts.”