Where I live, you have boring reused English place names like Brighton and Canterbury, and then much more distinguishable and interesting place names from the indigenous peoples like Dandenong and Bullengarook. When you learn the interpreted history of the name, I really appreciate the name more. Dandenong is thought to have come from Tanjenong, which means “lofty mountains.”
Then there are some bastardisations - what is now known as Toorak is from the word Turrak, which means “reedy grass”
Indigenous culture here is so willfully ignored and diminished by so many people. I think it’s really cool that we do have some ongoing reference to the oldest continuous culture in the world, even if it only comes up in meme culture as a funny haha :)
I don’t understand who people they’re dunking on when they mock distinctive indigenous words.
Ballaarat means meeting place. Djilang / Geelong means tongue of land as in the edge of the bay. Wirribi / Werribee means spine, as in the river being the spine of the land. Garidwerd means mountain range created by Bunjil. Wahroonga means home.
Even Humpybong comes from ngumpin bong, meaning empty houses in Ninghi Ninghi referring to the failed colonial penal colony that the settlers abandoned.
All these words have true meanings that connect to the land and our history.
Where I live, you have boring reused English place names like Brighton and Canterbury, and then much more distinguishable and interesting place names from the indigenous peoples like Dandenong and Bullengarook. When you learn the interpreted history of the name, I really appreciate the name more. Dandenong is thought to have come from Tanjenong, which means “lofty mountains.”
Then there are some bastardisations - what is now known as Toorak is from the word Turrak, which means “reedy grass”
Indigenous culture here is so willfully ignored and diminished by so many people. I think it’s really cool that we do have some ongoing reference to the oldest continuous culture in the world, even if it only comes up in meme culture as a funny haha :)
What is this culture ?
The Aboriginal culture of Australia.
I don’t understand who people they’re dunking on when they mock distinctive indigenous words.
Ballaarat means meeting place. Djilang / Geelong means tongue of land as in the edge of the bay. Wirribi / Werribee means spine, as in the river being the spine of the land. Garidwerd means mountain range created by Bunjil. Wahroonga means home.
Even Humpybong comes from ngumpin bong, meaning empty houses in Ninghi Ninghi referring to the failed colonial penal colony that the settlers abandoned.
All these words have true meanings that connect to the land and our history.
There are no lofty mountains in Dandenong
There is no war in Ba Sing Se.
You need to ask the right people at the market.