churinga

[ choo-ring-guh ]

noun,plural chu·rin·ga, chu·rin·gas.
  1. an object carved from wood or stone by Aboriginal tribes in central Australia and held by them to be sacred.

Origin of churinga

1
First recorded in 1895–1900, churinga is from the Aranda word jwerreŋe

Words Nearby churinga

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use churinga in a sentence

  • "churinga" in Australia are greased with the natural moisture of the palm of the hand, and rubbed with red ochre.

  • Again, they inform us that the churinga belief, and the existence of stone churinga, are things isolated.

  • Mr. Lang knew nothing of the Arunta churinga till I drew his attention to the subject.

  • Again we read, "Many of the churinga were placed in the ground, some natural object again marking the spot."

  • Can the churinga nanja and reincarnation beliefs have set up nescience of obvious facts among the Arunta?

British Dictionary definitions for churinga

churinga

/ (tʃəˈrɪŋɡə) /


nounplural -ga or -gas
  1. a sacred amulet of the native Australians

Origin of churinga

1
from a native Australian language

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012