Newsgroups: sci.lang
From: philip@storcomp.demon.co.uk (Phil Hunt)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!news.alpha.net!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!peernews.demon.co.uk!storcomp.demon.co.uk!philip
Subject: Re: Australian Abodream
References: <3hg84j$mps@mordred.cc.jyu.fi> <NEWTNews.6361.792549757.drmorris@phoenix.phoenix.net>
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Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 21:58:48 +0000
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In article <NEWTNews.6361.792549757.drmorris@phoenix.phoenix.net>
           drmorris@phoenix.net "Donald R. Morris" writes:
> Story, no doubt apocryphical, is that someone in First
> Fleet (1788) pointed at animal and asked "What's that?" --
> Aboriginal queried replied "Kangaroo!" -- "I don't 
> understand you!"
> 
> Similar etymology for Zulu cannon -- uMbayimbayi. When
> British installed small cannon in fort at Port Natal in
> 1820s, Zulus asked what it was and were told "You'll see, 
> by and by."

Also Yucatan in Mexico means "What did you say?".


-- 
Phil Hunt...philip@storcomp.demon.co.uk
Majority rule for Britain!
