Werrigal
/ˈwɛrɪɡəl/noun
An Australian Aboriginal-derived word meaning a wild dog or dingo, also used in some place names.
Did you know?Werrigal and its spelling variants were adopted into colonial Australian English from Aboriginal languages around the Sydney region, where the word referred to a wild dog or dingo.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European contact
Dharug and related Australian languages
warigal / werrigal
“A wild dog or dingo; the precise source-language form varies by region and transcription.”
Late 18th Century
Early Australian English
warrigal
“An Aboriginal loanword used by colonists for a dingo or wild dog.”
19th Century
Australian English
warrigal / warragal
“A wild or untamed dog, and sometimes figuratively a wild or unruly person.”
19th–20th Century
Australian English
werrigal
“A variant spelling preserved especially in Australian place names and local names.”
Modern English
Australian English
Werrigal
“A regional Aboriginal-derived term or proper name associated with a wild dog or dingo.”