Gascoyne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A river in the Pilbara and Gascoyne area of Western Australia that flows west toward the Indian Ocean near Carnarvon
2. The name of a long river and surrounding region in the northwest of Western Australia, known for its arid landscape
3. An Australian river in Western Australia's northwest that gives its name to a remote, sparsely populated district

Etymology: "Gascoyne" is an obsolete spelling of "gaskin," a word for a pair of loose, wide breeches worn in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. The name seems to point to Gascony, the region of southwestern France, and the connection is probably a form of "Gascon," a native of that province. Gascony had long been associated with the English crown, which may explain why a fashion from that area would have gained a name in English, though the exact route is uncertain. The link to Gascony is plausible rather than proven. The word is recorded in English as a term for a style of trousers, and its shape suggests a Gascon origin, but no firm evidence settles how the name passed from a regional adjective to a garment. The spelling "gascoyne" preserves the older form that lies closest to "Gascoigne," the anglicised version of "Gascon."