BUDGERIGAR / BILLABONG / BOOMERANG

words that begin with B

Oh wait, that's not very specific.

These are words that came into English from Australian Aboriginal languages.

• A budgerigar, or budgie for short, is a small long-tailed parrot.
  I tried to buy a budgerigar, but it was too much for my budget, and the shop owner wouldn't budge.
• A billabong is an oxbow lake, that is, one left when a river changes course.
  One author claims it is from Scottish Gaelic. Possible, since Australia and Scotland are practically next-door neighbors.
• A boomerang is a thrown weapon of carved wood, designed to return to its thrower.
  Boomerangs that fail to come back are known as "sticks."

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