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Glite Dictionary
swagwoman

swagwoman

9.9
A woman who travels to find work while carrying her belongings in a bundle
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : nómada
  • She lived as a swagwoman, roaming the outback with only her bundle and her determination.

Examples

  • Early accounts record a swagwoman working alongside male swagmen during the Great Depression.

  • The swagwoman walked for miles in search of work.

  • The legend of the swagwoman is rarely mentioned in traditional Australian folk songs.

  • Many swagwomen traveled together during the harvest season.

  • She lived as a swagwoman, roaming the outback with only her bundle and her determination.

  • The swagwoman walked for miles in search of work.

  • Many swagwomen traveled together during the harvest season.

Synonyms

swagman
vsswagwoman
  • Archaic
9.9

A man who travels to find work carrying his things in a bundle in Australia long ago

is the same role but female rather than male
swaggie
vsswagwoman
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who travels through the countryside carrying their things in a bag while looking for work

is not especially tied to rural areas

Surface Forms

swagwoman singular
swagwomen plural

Morphology

swagwoman = swag + woman (transparent) = swag + woman

The meaning is directly derived from the clear combination of 'swag' (a traveler's bundle/itinerant worker sense via 'swagman') and 'woman' indicating a female person.

Etymology

Swagwoman comes from the Australian word swag, meaning 'a bundle of personal things carried by a traveller', plus woman. A swagwoman was a travelling female worker who walked the outback with her bundle looking for work, so the word names both the woman and her 'swag'.