Walkabout

/ˈwɔːkəˌbaʊt/ noun

Definition

A long journey or journey taken on foot, especially one taken for personal reflection or exploration, or an Australian Aboriginal's journey through the bush.

Etymology

From Australian English, combining 'walk' with 'about.' It may relate to Aboriginal practices or be influenced by similar journey-words.

Kelly Says

What started as describing the actual journeys Aboriginal Australians took through the Outback became the word for any soul-searching road trip—it shows how English borrows respect (eventually) for practices from the cultures it encounters.

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