Bunya

/ˈbuːnjə/ noun

Definition

A tall Australian tree with large seeds that are edible, also called a bunya pine or Araucaria bidwillii.

Etymology

From Yuggera (an Australian Aboriginal language), the word bunya refers to the tree native to Queensland. English borrowed it directly in the early 19th century when European settlers encountered the tree and its valuable nuts.

Kelly Says

The bunya tree was so important to Indigenous Australians that they held gatherings called 'bunya feasts' when the cones ripened—it's one of the few plants where an entire cultural event is named after a food source.

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