Etymology

billabong

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Today it means: An anabranch, backwater or oxbow lake that is temporarily cut off from the main river, especially one that is only filled with water during the rainy season and can sometimes dry up completely. Full definition →

Wiradjuri bilabang
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The story

  1. Wiradjuri · borrowed frombung“dead”
  2. Wiradjuri · borrowed frombong
  3. Wiradjuri · borrowed frombila“river”
  4. Wiradjuri · borrowed frombilabang
  5. English todaybillabong

From Wiradjuri bilabang, likely a compound from Wiradjuri bila (“river”) and Wiradjuri bong or Wiradjuri bung (“dead”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.