digeridoo etymology

Subject: digeridoo etymology
From: GUEST,cookieless Margo
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:21 PM

In Michael Quinion's newsletter this morning he has a bit on the origin of the word digeridoo. Thought you'd find this interesting...


4. Weird Words: Didgeridoo

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An Australian Aboriginal musical instrument.



What could be more Australian than the droning sound of this native
instrument? Yet there's a linguistic mystery about it. Firstly, the
name isn't recorded in Australian English until 1919, astonishingly
late. And it isn't Aboriginal - native names include "yidali",
"illpera" and "bombo", but nothing that sounds even vaguely like
"didgeridoo". Lexicographers have traditionally got round this by
saying it is imitative, but "didgeridoo" bears scant relation to
the noise the instrument makes. Now Dymphna Lonergan, currently
working on a PhD thesis about the Irish influence on Australian
English, may have solved the problem. Her theory appeared in
Australian newspapers six months ago, and is reported in more
detail in the current issue of Ozwords, published by the Australian
National Dictionary Centre. She points to a possible Irish source
in two words "dúdaire" and "dubh". Gaelic spelling is in a class by
itself: the words are actually said rather like "doodjerreh" and
"doo". The first means "trumpeter"; the second means "black". Put
them together (adjective following noun in Gaelic) and you get a
phrase that means "black trumpeter" and which sounds remarkably
like the instrument's name.





Michael Quinion has a website called World Wide Words. You can check it out at http://www.worldwidewords.org



Margo

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: Noreen
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:32 PM

Fascinating!

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:39 PM

There was another thread on this earlier in the year. Click here. :)

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: open mike
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:52 PM

I sent this message to a fellow who makes didg'es
interesting....

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 02:36 PM

I was hoping for a mudcat typing error - the subject of Didgeridoo ENTOMOLOGY - the insects found in and associated with could be a fascinating topic on its own ;¬)
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: Dead Horse
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 06:17 PM

And I thought it was just a penny whistle, allowing for inflation.
Wrong again, huh?

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 06:22 PM

Yes, Dead Horse

Same way you're wrong about Bush and Iraq

Subject: RE: digeridoo etymology
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 07:30 PM

I thought the idea was the Irish words meant "black pipe". As in dúidin, clay pipe.

But just try smoking one of those buggers...