French australien from Latin australis in the phrase Terra Australis the southern land. Words from the Aboriginal languages of Australia which have become familiar in English mostly refer to indigenous flora and fauna or to Aboriginal practices; they include boomerang, budgerigar, dingo, kangaroo, koala, kookaburra, wallaby, and wombat. A few words of more general reference have been adopted, such as barrack (in the senses ‘to jeer’ and ‘to shout encouragement’) and cooee