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The traditional, Aboriginal names for koalas are said to be the genesis of the English name of "koala" for Phascolarctos cinereus.
There are some very similar names, such as "colah" and "koolah", but a few others are not so clearly related, including "cullewine", "koolewong", and "colo".
One translation of the Aboriginal terms is "no water", thought to be from the fact that koalas are able to subsist upon the water from their main food source, the eucalyptus and need no other source for hydration, although they will gladly drink water during heatwaves.
Other sources indicate that the name comes from the Aboriginal word "gula", which means "no drink." Koalas get their water from the leaves they eat, so they don't usually require fluid sustenance, though they will drink water in a drought.
The name 'wombat' has no other meaning in the aboriginal dialect. It is derived from an Eora name for the animal.
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Is koala a latin name?
No. The word 'koala' is derived from any of several possible Australian aboriginal words.
What animal's name means no water?
The koala's name is derived from the Aboriginal word "gula", which means "no drink."
What does koala mean in aboriginal?
The name 'koala' is thought to have come from an Aboriginal word, possibly kwala - meaning 'no drink' (sometimes translated as "no water"). This is because the koala does not need to drink, taking in all its moisture from the gum leaves it chews. It tends to only seek extra water during prolonged drought or heatwaves.
What is the Aboriginal word for 'no water'?
Koala Correction: Koala is derived from an aboriginal word for "no drink", not "no water". There is also no single word for "no water" as there are over 200 aboriginal languages in Australia.
Where did the word koala originally come from?
It is the Aboriginal name of the animal, sometimes given as Kulla, Kula or Koola
Which Australian animal's name means no drink?
According to some websites, koala means "no drink" in Aboriginal language. According to Wikipedia, this is incorrect. If you look up the word koala in the Online Etymological Dictionary, it says "1808, from the Aboriginal name of the animal, variously given as koola, kulla, kula." However, it is true that koalas rarely drink water. They usually get enough water from their food. There was a picture recently (2009) in the news of a koala rescued from a wildfire in Australia that was given water from a bottle and accepted it, but the fire would have made the koala thirsty and in need of water.
Which animal is an aboriginal term meaning no water?
koala
How do you say koala in spanish?
The word "koala" is derived from a similar sounding Aboriginal word, so it probably does not have a Spanish translation.
This furry animal has kept its australian name?
There are a number of Australian mammals which have kept derivations of their original aboriginal name, but none have kept the name in its original form.These animals include the kangaroo, koala, numbat, wallaby, wombat, ningaui and potoroo.
Name of a bear meaning No drink?
There is no species of bear which has a name meaning "no drink". The koala is a marsupial, and its name is derived from an aboriginal word for "no drink", but it is most certainly not a bear.
What is Koala in spanish?
The word "koala" is derived from a similar sounding Aboriginal word, so it probably does not have a Spanish translation.
What is the aboriginal word for koala bear?
There is no aboriginal word for "koala bear" because such a creature does not exist.The animal is a koala. There are no bears in Australia.There are many aboriginal words for koala, because there were originally over 250 aboriginal dialects, although not all of the indigenous people of Australia lived where koalas do. Some of these words are colah, koolah, koolewong and colo.The term "koala" is believed to have been derived from the Dharuk Aboriginal language, in which the word for these marsupials was "gula" (koola).The first known record of the koala by Europeans came during the time Governor Hunter commanded the NSW colony. After his men returned from an expedition into the Blue Mountains, on 26 January 1798, one reported seeing a new type of animal, resembling a sloth in its movements, which the local natives called a "cullawine".It would seem the word "koala" has derived from a combination of these two Aboriginal words.
