Dictionary

balanda en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hultą Proto-West Germanic *holt Old Dutch holt Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Germanic *landą Frankish *land Old Dutch lant Old Dutch holt lantder. Portuguese Holandabor. Javanese Walandader. Malay Belandader. Makasar Balandabor. Dhuwal balandabor. English balanda From Dhuwal balanda, from Makasar Balanda, from Malay Belanda, from Portuguese Holanda. Doublet of Holland.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:Australian Aboriginal; Arnhem Land; Australian Aboriginal; Arnhem Land) A white person, a European.
   • On the natives’ side are […] fear of the Ballander-whiteman and the thought of losing their country. 1943, W. E. Harney, Taboo:
   • Balanda! If Aborigine e says something ... e want to stop im Balanda ... e might listen. 1989, B. Neidjie, Story About Feeling:
   • They knew the white people of Victoria, and called them Balanda, which is nothing more than ‘Hollanders’; a name used by the Malays, from whom they received it. 1845, Ludwig Leichhardt, Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia:
   • That’s the only road back for them […] to be rid of all your partonising, domineering balanda ways. 1987, G. Francis, God’s Best Country:
   • There are a lot of fans both balanda white and yolngu (east Arnhem Land Aborigines). 1993 January 28, Canberra Times,:
   • Then I understood that this ‘balanda’ means people with skins like the white clay. 1978, J. Mirritji, My People’s Life:
   • The blacks rushed up to the house calling ‘Ballanda, Ballanda’—white man—and the Boss and Missus ran out. 1915, E. R. Masson, Untamed Territory:

Forms

Synonyms

migaloo · gubbah · whitefella