Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Word Origins 48. The word origin today is
kangaroo. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. The word kangaroo actually
does come from an Aboriginal tribe language called Guugu Yimithirr. I hope I
pronounced that correctly. referring to a series of large black kangaroo. This was
originally recorded and documented by Captain Cook. You know, the very
famous Captain Cook that sailed all around the world for Britain and went
to many places. The interesting thing about this word origin is that there has
been a long-standing myth. Remember a myth is something that a lot of people
believe is true, but actually in fact it's not true. That Captain Cook ... that
Captain Cook's record was wrong and he must have made a mistake.
This is due to Captain Philip King who returned to the same area of Australia
and asked the same tribe about 50 years later. So he asked the same question. He
got a different response. And when he got a difference response, he assumed that well
Captain Cook was wrong. He made a mistake cross that out. This is the right answer.
So and yeah so it was believed and reported for a long time the aboriginal
response meant " I don't know. " So they thought that he must have heard
another word, like you know, either Captain Cook himself or one of his
assistants might've asked the tribal people what's the name of that animal ? And maybe
they didn't understand, and they accidentally said you know, I don't know.
And they reported. Okay. The animal's name is I don't know. You know, in , in that
language. Of course, and the word kangaroo originated from that response. That you
know, it kind of stuck and it stayed over the years. So this one was believed. This
story is often reported or heard. Even when I went ... I think I went to Australia
for the first time about 20-30 years ago, and I heard the same story. I think that
a lot of tour guides like to tell a story like this. It's, it's much
more entertaining than telling the truth. and I think I even in a guidebook I
think I read this same sort of story. But now you know, when you research on it , you
find out that this one is actually a myth. All right. Let's continue. However history
proved Captain Cook right. In 1898 an ethnologist , you know, that's like ...
It's a branch of anthropology that also studies how cultures develop and it
probably looks at how their languages as well. W E Roth wrote a letter to a famous
Australian newspaper of the day confirming gangurru was correct. Okay.
Since that time there has been a number of other ethnologists that have also
confirmed it. And even though he wrote it and he confirmed it, they say that
newspaper never really printed a retraction. Maybe they liked the idea. The
the fake story sounded better than the real story. It was more entertaining. So
not so unlike a lot of stuff that's reported in the media today.
Sometimes they prefer the untrue story or the fake news to the real news. All
right. So confirmed therefore Captain Philip King was wrong and some people
think what he heard was probably like another term that was actually similar
to like 'an edible animal.' So maybe when Captain King asked it or his assistant
asked it. What's the name of that animal ? And they said I don't know what is that ?
And they said well it's an edible animal. You can go eat it. Well I don't know. I'm
not really sure. Some people suggest that or think that might be it.
But anyway, we find out that actually Captain Cook was right. And his record
was right. From the original one, way back, you
know, way back in the early days. When Captain Cook first went there. Anyway, I
hope you got it. I hope you found it entertaining. Thank you for your time. Bye-
bye.