Dingo

/ˈdɪŋɡoʊ/ noun

Definition

A wild dog native to Australia, descended from domesticated dogs brought by ancient peoples, now living in packs in the Australian outback.

Etymology

From Australian Aboriginal languages, likely from a Dharug word; borrowed into English when European colonists encountered these animals, showing how place-specific words enter global English.

Kelly Says

Dingos are controversial in Australia because they're technically not native (they arrived ~3,500 years ago) yet they're now completely wild—they show how hard it is to define 'natural' or 'native' once species mix.

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