Where "Potoroo" Comes From
Photo by Warren Garst / CSU Libraries via DPLA, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
"Potoroo" comes from Dharug (originally recorded as potoroo or poto-roo in the 1790s by early colonial diarists in Sydney). The name was recorded near Sydney in 1790 for these small rat-kangaroos.
Potoroos eat underground fungi and spread fungal spores in their droppings; some of these fungi help native plants take up nutrients from the soil.
“A long-nosed potoroo scampered through the thick undergrowth in search of underground fungi.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
Known to bushwalkers, wildlife carers, and conservationists, particularly through recovery programs for the endangered Gilbert's potoroo.
It is one of the earliest recorded Aboriginal names for Australia's unique smaller marsupial wildlife.
ð Sources & Further Reading
- Borrowings from Aboriginal Languages â Australian National Dictionary Centre, ANU
- List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin — Wikipedia
- Potoroo - Wikipedia
- Long-nosed potoroo - Wikipedia
- Dharug language - Wikipedia
Part of our Aboriginal Loanwords collection →
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