Bangalay

/ˈbæŋɡəleɪ/ noun

Definition

A tall Australian eucalyptus tree with rough bark and pale wood, also called the red mahogany or Eucalyptus intermedia.

Etymology

From Aboriginal Australian languages, specifically from the Yuin/Kuric languages of southeastern Australia. The word entered English through colonial contact and botanical naming.

Kelly Says

The bangalay tree was used by Aboriginal people for tools and shelter for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, and its name in English comes directly from the people who knew it best—one of the few plant names where colonial language actually preserved Indigenous knowledge.

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