Kylie

Kylie is a Noongar word for “boomerang”. Wait…what? We’ll explain. First of all, the Noongar are an ancient indigenous Aboriginal people still living in the southwestern corner of Australia (around Perth). A “kylie/kiley” is not exactly a “boomerang” per se. Actually, the word “boomerang” came from another (now extinct) Aboriginal language from southeastern Australia. The word was first attested to in 1798 as a “wo-mur-rāng” by David Collins (the first British Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania). It described a throwing object which, once sent into the air, would eventually return to its thrower. A “kylie”, however, is essentially a boomerang that does not return. A “kylie” is somewhat similar in size and shape to a boomerang, but it is used specifically for hunting and/or warfare (rather than sport or amusement). Kylies are larger weapon-like sticks that can be thrown far distances and greatly impair its intended target at the hands of a skillful thrower. Aboriginal people have been throwing both boomerangs and kylies for ten thousand years – a custom that continues today – and is therefore largely considered an iconic object in Australia. Kylies are actually more difficult to make and harder to throw than a regular returning boomerang, but when done correctly, they can be launched up to 1/8th of a mile! Not surprisingly, it was the Australians who first turned the “kylie” into a female personal name. Today, however, the name is most popular in the United States and Canada.