SYDNEY Words: 'koala'

‘KOALA’: what does it mean

A koala is one of Australia’s favourite treasures of the animal kingdom. It looks almost unbearably attractive and cuddly. On closer scrutiny koalas seem to spend most of their time asleep, and they are scarcely cuddly, with claws, and perhaps with a temperament that has never made them household pets in the manner of cats and dogs.

‘Koala’ is an indigenous word that might have been retranscribed as ‘guwala’, but probably more properly as ‘gula’ as the following examples suggest. 

Original	respelt	English original	Eng JSM	source
“Cola”	gula =	“koala”	koala  :	Caley REFLECTIONS [:140:31] [DG]
“kula”	gula =	“bear”	koala  :	KAOL Rowley GeoR [:104:14] [DG]
“coola”	gula =	“A new and remarkable species of Didelphis has lately been brought in from the southward of Botany Bay.  It is called by the natives coloo or coola.”	koala  :	Brown, Robert: LTR to Banks 16 Sept 1803 [::] [DG]
“Koolah”	gula =	“Sergeant Packer of Pitt’s Row, has in his possession a native animal some time since described in our Paper, and called by the natives, a Koolah”	koala  :	Sydney Gazette [9 Oct 1803:3b:] [Syd]
“kula”	gula =	“native bear”	koala  :	AL&T Rowley GeoR [:259:11] [DG]
“coola”	gula =	“our coola (sloth or native bear) is about the size of an ordinary poodle dog, with shaggy, dirty-coloured fur, no tail, and claws and feet like a bear, of which it forms a tolerable miniature.”	koala  :	Cunningham, Peter [:156:37] [DG?]

Mt Colah in Sydney’s north is probably this same ‘gula’. So too, a little further north, Koolewong.

Hitherto, until the moment of preparing this text, the writer had thought that the animal’s temperament was the source of its name, from the following:

“kular”	gula =	“Angry”	anger  :	Mathews DG 1901 [:160:17] [DG]
“goo-lar-ra”	gulara =	“Angry”	anger  :	Collins 1 [:508.1:18] [BB]
“kulara”	gulara =	“angry”	anger  :	KAOL Rowley GeoR [:106:6] [DG]
“Ghoólara1”	gulara =	“Cross, or ill natured1.”	anger  :	Dawes (b) [b:8:1.1] [BB]
“Ghoólara murry2”	gulara mari =	“Very cross2.”	anger big  :	Dawes (b) [b:8:1.2] [BB]

In reviewing a wordlist, the following was encountered:

“Kaliya”

galiya =

“Squirrels”

glider  possum:

SofM 19010622 [82 Brown–NSW] [:82.2:46] []

‘Squirrel’ was often used for ‘possum glider’, and so that was the retranslation provided for this entry.  However, the database also automatically supplies matches to the respelt word in any entry—here, ‘galiya’, and the main retranslation (Eng JSM) entry—glider, in this case. Among those that appeared was:

“Kalianna”

galiya-na =

“To ascend; climb up”

climb  :

McCarthy [:26:4] []

Perhaps, this entry suggested, ‘galiya’ did not really mean ‘possum glider’ but ‘climb’ instead. Possums certainly climb. This led to a search for ‘climb’, with illuminating results. There was a multitude of examples for ‘climb’ beginning gali-, gala- and gula-. Here is a sample:

ALLSYD
“Cal-loo-a”	galu-wa =	“To climb”	climb  :	King in Hunter [:408.1:31] [BB]
“kalua”	galu-wa =	“Climb”	climb  :	Mathews DG 1901 [:160.2:17] [DG]
SOUTH
“Kul´-la-wal-ga”	gala-wa-l-ga =	“Climb”	climb  I:	Mathews DGA 1901 [:72:44] [DGA]
“gulligimbilli”	gali-gi-mbi-li =	“Climb”	climb  :	Mathews NRGU 1908 [:340:37] [Nrgu]
NORTH
“kullimulliko”	gali-ma-li-gu =	“to make use of the toe; hence, to climb; because the blacks cut notches in the bark, and, to ascend the trunk of a tree, place the toe therein”	climb make :	Tkld/Frsr AWA Lex [:220:23] [AWA]
“kulliwá”	gali-wa =	“climbed; did climb”	climb move :	Tkld/Frsr AWA Lex [:220:24] [AWA]
“Cull-e -wull-ar”	gali-wa-la =	“Climb up or ascend”	climb  IMP!:	Tkld KRE c.1835 [:131:29] [Kre]
“gulliwai”	gali-wa-yi =	“Climb”	climb  :	Mathews DARK 1903 [:281.3:55] [Dark]
“kulliwai”	gali-wa-yi =	“To go over”	climb  :	Mathews DARK 1903 [:274:26.3] [Dark]
“Kalliwai”	gali-wa-yi =	“Climb over”	climb did :	Mathews 8006/3/7- No 7 [7:80:19] [Dark]
“Cully-wo wil-go-bang”	gali-wu-wil-gu-bang =	“Climb up.”	climb might I:	Long Dick [:4.1:21] [LD]
CURR
“Calliwer”	galiwa =	“to climb”	climb  :	Curr v. III Bk 15  §186 [340: Branch–Pt Macquarie] [:344.1:2] [Bpi]
ANTSOC
“Gulliwaing”	galiwang =	“To climb”	climb  :	McCarthy [:25:9] []
WIRADHURI
“gullê”	gali =	“Climb”	climb  :	Mathews KML/Dwl [:279.3:48] [KML]
“Cullicatha”	galigaDa =	“Climb, to”	climb  :	SofM 19010422 [44 Thomas–Wiraiari] [:44.2:4] [Wira] KAMILAROI
“Cullicatha”	galigaDa =	“Climb, to”	climb  :	SofM 19010422 [44 Thomas–Wiraiari] [:44.2:4] []
“kullial”	galiyal =	“climb”	climb  :	KAOL Ridley [KML] [:33:23.2] [KML]
“kolië”	galiyi =	“climb”	climb  :	KAOL Ridley [KML] [:33:23.1] [KML]
“Kaliambirra”	galyambira =	“to let go up.”	climb, permit  let go up, to:	Günther WIRA (Fraser) [:95:36] [Wira]
“kulliana”	galyana =	“Climb”	climb  :	Mathews WIRA 1904 [:302:81] [Wira]
“Kalianna”	galyana =	“to ascend, climb up.”	climb  ascend, to:	Günther WIRA (Fraser) [:95:37] [Wira]
“Caleertha”	garlirDa =	“Climb, to”	climb  :	SofM 19010422 [44 Thomas–Wiraiari] [:44.2:1] [Wira]
MURUWARI
“kula”	gula =	“to climb”	climb  :	Oates [:168:27.1] [Mrwi]
“kula-wi”	gula-wi =	“to climb back”	climb back :	Oates [:168:27.2] [Mrwi]
“kula-y-ku”	gula-yi-gu =	“will climb”	climb will :	Oates [:144:17.2] [Mrwi]

Koalas, as has been noted, have claws, and as a consequence koalas are excellent tree climbers, and can leap agilely from branch to branch and use their claws to hang on securely to the branch they arrive at.

If so many parts of NSW have gali/gula-type words for ‘climb’, what about words for ‘koala’ from regions beyond Sydney, which is where the examples cited at the outset derived from. Enquiry reveals that there are many different words for ‘koala’, many not of the gali/gula-type:

“Pucawan”	bagawan =	“A native bear”	koala  :	AntSoc 456 [42 Critchett Walker–NSW] [:64:75] []
“Banjorah”	bandyura =	“The native bear (Woodenbong district)”	koala  :	AntSoc 456 [42 Critchett Walker–NSW] [:42:9] [Bjlg]
“Banjoral”	bandyural =	“A native bear”	koala  :	SofM 19000322 [28: Thomas–Clarence R] [:30.1:17] [Bjlg]
“bur´runda”	baranda =	“for the male, [[koala]]”	koala  male:	Mathews DGA 1901 [:52:19] [DGA]
“Barrandang”	barandang =	“a native monkey”	koala  [?]:	Günther WIRA (Fraser) [:72:66] [Wira]
“Boorabee”	burabi =	“A native bear (Byron Bay district)”	koala  :	AntSoc 456 [42 Critchett Walker–NSW] [:43:45] [Bjlg]
“Tugaree”	dagari =	“Native Bear”	koala  :	SofM 19010221 [8 McDougall] [:8.1:30.1] [Gmbgr]
“Dun-gear-ah”	dangira =	“Native bear”	koala  :	AnthSoc 456:36: MINES [:36:50] []
“Toon-ga ri”	dungarayi =	“Native Bear”	koala  :	SofM 18990921 [144 Rudder-Orara R] [:144:20] [Gmbgr]
“toon-gool”	dunGul =	“Bear”	koala  :	SofM 18990921 [146: Larmer-LchHlra] [:146:3] [Wira]
“Turgaree”	durgari =	“Native bear”	koala  :	AntSoc 456 [42 Critchett Walker–NSW] [:51:19] [Gmbgr]
“Gumbâwur”	gambawur =	“native bear”	koala  :	Mathews DGA 1901 [:52:18.2] [DGA]
“Kurraloo”	garalu =	“Monkey”	koala  :	Larmer (RSNSW) BBay [:226.1:39] [DGA]
“Gooda”	guda =	“Native bear”	koala  :	SofM 19000521 [62 Tibbetts-Ulamogo Pl] [:62.3:51] [Wira]
“guda”	guda =	“Native bear”	koala  :	Mathews KML/Dwl [:277.3:1] [KML]
“Koor´-a-ban”	guraban =	“Native Bear”	koala  :	Mathews DGA 1901 [:69.2:3] [DGA]
“yarre”	yari =	“a native bear”	koala  :	Mathews D-GDI 1904 [:233:12] [Dgdi]
“yarri”	yari =	“Native bear”	koala  :	Curr v. III Bk 15  §185 [334: Spencer–Lwr Macleay R] [:335.1:22] [Dgdi]

There were also many ‘koala’ words of the gali/gula-type, but they were predominantly in the Sydney and coastal region.

What conclusions can be drawn from this analysis? So far, nothing for certain. The gula-koala could derive from either ‘anger’ or ‘climb’, but the following stem-forming suffixes featuring -wa- indicating ‘move’ seem more applicable to ‘climbing’ (which is to do with activity) than ‘anger’ (an abstract noun).

“Cool-oo-wine”	gulu-wan =	“Native Bear or Monkey”	koala  :	Tkld KRE c.1835 [:130:17] [Kre]
“kuluwañ”	gulu-wany =	“Native bear”	koala  :	Mathews DARK 1903 [:280.3:11] [Dark]
“koolewong”	guli-wang =	“bear”	koala  :	Tuckerman W&R Gaz 1896 [::8] [Tkmn]

Each of the non-gali/gula-type ‘koala’ words could be investigated much as has been done above. The results can be no less tantalising. For example, ‘barandang’ (in the list a little above) might be connected to ‘night/black’, but also to ‘sleepy lizard’, ‘crane’, ‘gnaw’ and ‘cut’ among other things. Possibly a koala is a ‘night’ (even ‘sleepy’ perhaps) animal; possibly it is seen as gnawing/cutting the leaves it eats.

And with that, this topic will be left for the present. Others might care to take it up.

JS Thursday 22 December 2011