goanna
UK[ɡəʊˈænə]US[ɡoʊˈænə]
n
a large monitor lizard native to australia and new guinea.
Etymology
the word 'goanna' is a fascinating example of folk etymology in australian english. it originated in the early 19th century as a respelling of the spanish word 'iguana', a term for large lizards of the americas brought to australia by european settlers. upon encountering similar-looking large monitor lizards, settlers applied the familiar name 'iguana', which was then phonetically adapted to the more english-sounding 'goanna'. this process illustrates how language can repurpose and reshape foreign words to fit new environments and phonetic patterns, creating a distinct term for a native australian animal.
Analysis
this word is a loanword and does not have separable morphemes based on its current english spelling. it is a corruption of the word 'iguana'.
Examples
we spotted a large goanna basking on a sun-warmed rock near the billabong.
the goanna uses its powerful legs and sharp claws to dig for prey and create burrows.
in some aboriginal dreamtime stories, the goanna is an important ancestral figure.