koala

The word 'koala' entered English in the early 19th century, borrowed directly from the Dharug Aboriginal language of the Sydney region, where 'gula' or 'koola' referred to the animal. Early European settlers transcribed the term, which eventually standardized as 'koala'. A persistent folk etymology mistakenly claimed it meant "no drink," as koalas were thought to get all moisture from leaves, but linguistic analysis confirms the Dharug origin is simply the animal's name. The word's journey from a specific Aboriginal language to global English vocabulary exemplifies the direct borrowing of terms for unique flora and fauna from indigenous cultures.

The word 'koala' is a simplex loanword from an Australian Aboriginal language (Dharug). It does not contain separable morphemes within the English spelling system.