Matilda
pronunciation
How to pronounce Matilda in British English:
UK [məˈtɪldə]
How to pronounce Matilda in American English:
US [ məˈtɪldə]
Word Origin
- Matilda
- fem. proper name, from French Mathilde, of Germanic origin, literally "mighty in battle;" compare Old High German Mahthilda, from mahti "might, power" + hildi "battle," from Proto-Germanic *hildiz "battle," from PIE *kel- (1) "to strike, cut." The name also was late 19c. Australian slang for "a traveler's bundle or swag," hence the expression waltzing Matilda "to travel on foot" (by 1889). In my electorate nearly every man you meet who is not "waltzing Matilda" rides a bicycle. ["Parliamentary Debates," Australia, 1907] The lyrics of the song of that name, sometimes called the unofficial Australian national anthem, are said to date to 1893.
Example
- 1. Banjo and matilda , possibly predator and prey , were found buried together .
- 2. This st. louis-area park was founded in 1968 by matilda laumeier as a memorial to her husband , henry .
- 3. The dinosaurs , which date back nearly 100m years to the middle of the cretaceous period , have been named after banjo paterson , who composed waltzing matilda in winton in 1885 , and some of the characters from the song .
- 4. He lives next door to a 13 year old matilda , who is part of a dysfunctional family .