In the not-too-distant past, Tasmania's wildlife were commonly known by other names.
Wombats were, and sometimes still are, known as badgers, blue tongue lizards were called goannas, kookaburras were 'laughing jack-asses' and quolls were native cats.
Some speak of fairy wrens as tomtits, others see native hens as 'turbo chooks' or 'narkies'.
Meanwhile the endemic Tasmanian Tiger, now extinct, has had more than eleven different English words ascribed to its striped, canine-like being, such as opossum, wolf and hyena.
Australian National Dictionary Centre senior researcher Mark Gwynn said the wildlife in Tasmania would have received these everyday names because of a visible likeness to their namesakes.
"Colonisers and early settlers had never seen these animals so they went to the nearest, closest looking thing from their homeland and called it that," Mr Gwynn said.
"The echidna was the native hedge hog or porcupine, the quoll became the native cat.
"Animals were given scientific names, but for the most part people don't remember them, so these common colloquial names come about."
He said many of the names we now have for animals, such as wallaby and wombat, arose from the languages of the Aboriginal people who were living in the areas that we now know as Sydney.
Historical linguistics: How did we arrive at trianchula?
Mr Gwynn said such names also arose when an original name was changed in some way.
"A lot of English words change through alteration, a word is misheard or mispronounced, or sometimes adopted through humour."
The name goanna, for example, arose from the word iguana, which is a lizard from South and Central America.
Mr Gwynn said goanna was used by settlers in Australia from 1801 to name the country's second largest lizard the lace monitor and may also have been applied to blue tongue lizards in Tasmania.
He said another good example of alteration was the word tarantula, which refers to the southern European tarantula, that was adopted and altered or mispronounced in earlier times to name Australian spiders.
This included huntsmen spiders, which in Tasmania was labelled 'trianchula', while in other states they were labelled 'triantelopes'.
Mr Gwynn said it appeared Tasmanians were still using trianchula in the 1990s.
"We keep our ears and eyes open to see if some of these words are still being used, and if they become more regionalised," Mr Gwynn said.
"Trianchula seemed peculiar, perhaps it is still around in Tassie, but it dropped off in other states."
Evolution of language: Why do some names survive, while others don't?
It has been more than 200 years since some colloquial animal names entered the Tasmanian vernacular, but some would argue that their use lingers.
The topic was discussed on the Tasmanian History Facebook page where comments showed that the names were used across the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
In some instances older generations still use them.
A quick look at Tasmanian street and place names will reveal formal uses for these animal names, such as Opossum Road in Launceston and Badger Beach in the West Tamar.
Mr Gwynn said there was no measured explanation as to why some words and names lose favour.
He added that generational, geographical, socio-economic and social factors could be considered.
"People are quite proud of their language and will stick to it, but a word can slowly lose its currency, it can become not quite as common and a more obvious name comes into use," Mr Gwynn said.
"It is tricky to nail down why a word sticks and one doesn't."
He said some animals might attract many different slang names, and these might be repeated because they are funny.
Mr Gwynn added they might continue to be used because they are in fashion.
As an example, he raised the name 'turbo chook' which is used for the Tasmanian native hen.
"Just like what we wear, watch and eat, words can become fashionable when used in groups," he said.
"The name turbo chook has been around for about 20-odd years at least, and if you call it that then you are being a bit humorous.
"But in 30, 40, 50 years time, that name might sound a bit silly to people and maybe the word will die off."
Cultural quirks of everyday speak
Wombat or badger, goanna or lizard, native hen or turbo chook, the English language is being its most productive when slang develops.
Mr Gwynn said no one word is correct, it just depended on who was saying it and how it was being used.
He said having several words with the same meaning was a standard occurrence throughout the English language.
He added that it helped to make our everyday speak and use of language compelling.
"It makes the language interesting," Mr Gywnn said
"It gives it nuance."
This article first appeared in The Examiner.
