1820s
Still common
Definition
A small, compact native Australian marsupial closely related to wallabies, inhabiting dense rainforests, wet gullies, and coastal scrub.
ð· See It
Where "Pademelon" Comes From
Photo by Simondg16, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
"Pademelon" (historically spelled paddymelon or padymelon) comes from Dharug badimaliyan, recorded by British colonists in the Sydney basin in the early 1800s.
Pademelons shelter in thick vegetation by day and come out at dusk and through the night to feed on grasses, herbs and green shoots, usually staying near the forest edge.
Example Sentence
“A red-necked pademelon hopped cautiously out from the rainforest canopy onto the grassy edge at sunset.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
Commonly seen in rainforest national parks along the east coast of New South Wales, Queensland, and across Tasmania.
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ð Sources & Further Reading
- Borrowings from Aboriginal Languages â Australian National Dictionary Centre, ANU
- List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin — Wikipedia
- pademelon - Wiktionary
- Tasmanian pademelon - Wikipedia
- Red-necked pademelon - Wikipedia
Part of our Aboriginal Loanwords collection →
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