Cooliman

/ˈkuːlɪmən/ noun

Definition

A shallow wooden container used by Aboriginal Australians for carrying water or food; variant spelling of 'coolamon.'

Etymology

From Australian Aboriginal languages; another variant spelling of the same word as 'coolamon' and 'coolaman,' reflecting different attempts to write down Aboriginal words.

Kelly Says

The multiple spellings of cooliman/coolamon/coolaman show how hard it was for English speakers to write unfamiliar Aboriginal sounds—there's no 'right' spelling because the sounds didn't exist in English.

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