Australian Aboriginal Words in English: Their Origin and Meaning

by R.M.W. Dixon, Mandy Thomas, W.S. Ramson

This extensive reference provides authoritative information about the history of over 400 words from Aboriginal languages, offering the fullest available information about their Aboriginal background and Australian English history. The book begins with a general history of the 250 Australian
aboriginal languages, including profiles of the languages that have been most significant as sources for borrowing. The words are then grouped according to subject--birds, fish, edible flora, dwellings, etc.--with each work listed in a dictionary-style entry. The book concludes by addressing how
words changed in English, and discusses English words that have since been adopted into Aboriginal languages.

Genres: Nonfiction

266 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 1991

About the author

Robert Malcolm Ward Dixon is a Professor of Linguistics in the College of Arts, Society, and Education and The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Queensland. He is also Deputy Director of The Language and Culture Research Centre at JCU.