Tom Pullman: origin of Didgeridoo

[Elizabeth J. Pyatt]

Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 22:16:49 +0100 (BST)
From: Tom Pullman <tjop2 at cam.ac.uk>

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004, Elizabeth J. Pyatt wrote:

>  I have to confess that the word itself sounds like it came from one
>  of the Australian languages,  which is pretty remarkable for a
>  "made-up word," but the original note does say that this is NOT among
>  words for the instrument in the local languages
>
>  I'm wondering if it's from a deceased aboriginal language and that
>  the story is a later "folk etymology". Just a speculation though.
>
>  Anyway, it doesn't sound like this word is calling up anything
>  specific for the Celtic gang at the moment.

I recall a discussion of this on another list where the phrase "dúdaire
dubh", "black trumpeter/horn blower", was mentioned. The consensus was, if
I recall correctly, that this was unlikely because the sounds "didgeri"
and "dúdaire" are really not similar enough. Also, why would the
instrument be given the name of the person who played it?

Tom

--

Tom Pullman			¦
Darwin College			¦	 Whenever I speak Tlingit
Cambridge			¦	I can still taste the soap
tjop2 at cam.ac.uk			¦
--
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

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