Australian Variant

Of English

Socio-historical linguistic context convicts sent there: Cockneys, Irish, non-

English speaking Welsh and Scots. Cockney – the dominant dialect “Americanization” – gold rushes (1850s),

American military personnel in World War II

Influence of Aboriginal languages

Almost 440 words names for places, flora and fauna (for

example dingo, coala, wallaby, billabong ) Cooee (/kʉː.i:/) - high-pitched call, for

attracting attention; also a notional distance: if he's within cooee, we'll spot him.

Hard yakka (hard work) is derived from yakka, from the Yagara language spoken in the Brisbane region.

Bung - broken or pretending to be hurt. Although didgeridoo, a wooden musical

instrument, thought to be an Aboriginal word, is now believed to be an onomatopoeic word invented by English speakers. It may also have an Irish derivation because the word dúdaire means "pipe player" in Irish Gaelic, and dúdaire dubh [du:dɪrʲɪ du:] means 'black pipe player'

British vs. American TV vs. telly SMS vs. text freeway vs. motorway

regional, social and ethnic variation within Australia typically defines word usage.

The Influence from Irish English word 'Ta' for Thank You the name of the letter "H" as "haitch" /hæɪtʃ/ bum backside (Irish bun), tucker - food,

provisions (Irish tacar) paddock field, cf. Irish páirc = Australian

paddock

Variation of Australian English

General Cultivated

Broad

A.E.

Broad Australian English It’s used to identify Australian characters in

non-Australian films and television programs

Terms Ocker (a speaker), Strine, (the dialect)

Examples are television/film personalities Steve Irwin and Paul Hogan.

General Australian accent predominates among modern Australian

films and television programs is used by the Wiggles, Dannii Minogue,

Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett.

Cultivated Australian English has many similarities to RP, and is often

mistaken for it spoken by some within Australian society,

for example Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush.

Regional differences In Tasmania, words such as "dance" and "grant"

are usually heard with the older pronunciation of these words, using /æ/, whereas in South Australia, /a:/ is more common

fritz in South Australia = devon in New South Wales = Belgium sausage in Tasmania = Empire sausage in Newcastle = polony in West Australia = Windsor sausage in Queensland = German sausage or Strasburg in Victoria

Kindergarten in New South Wales = prep class in Victoria and Tasmania = reception class in South Australia

Australian Vowels The short vowels, (only monophthongs) mostly

correspond to the lax vowels used in analyses of RP

The long vowels (both monophthongs and diphthongs) mostly correspond to its tense vowels and centring diphthongs.

a phonemic length distinction: certain vowels differ only by length.

/ai/ instead of /ei/: mate /mait/ /a/ in closed syllable = /ɛ/:/bɛt/, /flɛt/ instead

of /bæt/, /flæt/ (common with New Zeland English)

Australian Consonants are similar to those of other non-rhotic

varieties of English a flapped variant of /t/ and /d/ in similar

environments, as in American English /dj/, /sj/ and /tj/ into /dʒ/, /ʃ/ and /tʃ/, such

as /tʃʉːn/ for tune

Vocabulary The Bush (either a native forest or a country area

in general). Dutch origin: 'Bosch' creek - a stream or small river, (in the UK - a

small watercourse flowing into the sea) Australian English and several British English

dialects (for example, Cockney, Scouse, Glaswegian and Geordie) use the word mate

Dinkum (or "fair dinkum") can mean "true", "is that true?" or "this is the truth!”

derived from the Cantonese (or Hokkien) ding kam, meaning, "top gold“?

originated from the extinct East Midlands dialect in England, where dinkum (or dincum) meant "hard work" or "fair work“?

The derivative dinky-di means 'true' or devoted: a 'dinky-di Aussie' is a 'true Australian'.

Spelling is usually the same as British spelling, with

only a few exceptions. program is more common than programme[ jail is prevalent, gaol is generally still used in official

contexts -our/ or controversies: elder or modern spelling of words

such as labour, flavour etc.

Colloquialisms Diminutives: arvo (afternoon), barbie (barbecue),

footy (Australian rules football, rugby union football or rugby league football), doco (documentation), smoko (smoke break).

Litotes, such as "you're not wrong" idiomatic phrases and words (have almost

disappeared from everyday use):cobber, strewth, you beaut and crikey. Prawn is used rather than shrimp.

Regionalisms of XVIII and XIX from: sheila – (Irish origin) – a woman, Bloke – a man Seppo – an American («Yanks» -> «Septic tanks» -> «Seppos» pommy, pommie or pom a British (pommergranate) dust-up – a fight, tootsy (← foot) billy (← bally) (Scottish) Larrikin – hooligan (Yorksire) to stonker (← to stonk) (Central countries of England) clobber (← clubbered up «разодетый») (Kent) Cockney rhymed slang:

china plate -> good mate

have a captain Cook ->have a look

Noah's ark -> Shark

«past the black stump» - being the last outpost of civilization

«shark biscuits» - beginners at surfing «Wouldn't shout if a shark bit her» - a scrooge person

(‘shout’ also means ‘to treat sb to the alcohol) «boomerang» - sth that should be returned «bush telegraph» (moccasin radio/telegraph in Canada)

= «сарафанное радио»

«station» — AustrE + «животноводческая, овцеводческая ферма»;

«to tie up» — AustrE + «привязывать животное к столбу».

Recent borrowings hoon = hooligan spunky =sexy a dag «эксцентричный, забавный человек;

неряшливо одетый человек» a rort, to rort «шумная вечеринка; жульничать,

мошенничать» shonky «незаконный, „левый“, ненадёжный» the Pacific peso

Pseudo-phonetic spelling "owyergoinmateorright?“ ("How are you going, mate? All

right?") "yair" for "yes“, "noth-think" for "nothing". The book "Let Stalk Strine" by Afferbeck Lauder – where

"Strine" is "Australian" and "Afferbeck Lauder" is "alphabetical order“

— Knife a samich? — Can I have a sandwich? - I’ll gechawun inn a sec — I’ll get you one in a sec. - Emma chisit? — How much is it?  - Attlebee aitninee — That’ll be eight ninety.