Australian English

1. Australian English

2. THE AUSTRALIAN PENAL COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES IN 1788

3.

American influence
okay
you guys
gee
freeway
truck
Irish influence
bum = backside (Irish bun)
tucker = food
paddock = field

4. Phonology

Yod-coalescence is a process that changes the clusters [dj],
[tj], [sj] and [zj] into [dʒ], [tʃ], [ʃ] and [ʒ] respectively:
educate → /’ɛdʒu:keɪt/
nature → /’neɪtʃər/
measure → /’mɛʒər/
pressure → /’prɛʃər/
Yod-coalescence in stressed syllables occurs in Australian,
Cockney, and New Zealand English resulting in :
dew → /’dʒu:/
tune → /’tʃu:n/
resume → /rə’ʒu:m/
assume → /ə’ʃu:m/

5.

t, d and s in the combinations tr, dr and sr ( loan
words only) have also changed into /dʒ/, /ʃ/ and
/tʃ/
tree /tʃɹᵊi:/
draw /dʒɹɔː/
Sri Lanka /ʃɹi'læŋkə/.

6.

Intervocalic /nt/ in fast speech can be
realised as [n]
winter = winner
nineteen = nineen
ninety = niny
Say in Australian
1999!

7. Vocabulary

the Bush – a native forest or a a country area in general;
creek
• Australia: a stream or small river
• UK: a small watercourse flowing into the sea
paddock
• Australia: field
outback – a remote, sparsely populated area;
• UK: a small enclosure for livestock
bush, scrub
• Australia: a wooded area
• UK: used in proper names (Shepherd’s Bush, Wormwood Scrubs)

8.

Dinkum means “true”, “is that true?”, “this is the
truth!”
Cantonese ding kam meaning top gold
extinct East Midlands dialect in England: dinkum means
hard work or fair work
dinky-di means true or devoted: a ‘dinky-di Aussie’ is a ‘true
Australian’.
G’day is not synonymous with the expression “Good
Day”, and is never used as an expression for "farewell".

9. -O ending

Australian English
Abo
Aggro
Ambo
Arvo
Avo
Bizzo
Dero
Evo
Garbo
Standard English
Aborigine- ( offensive)
Aggressive
Ambulance office
Afternoon
Avocado
Business
Homeless person
Evening
Garbage collector

10.

Journo
Milko
Servo
Smoko
Journalist
Milkman
Service (gas) station
Smoke or coffee/tea break
Thingo
Vejjo
Thing
Vegetarian

11. -ie (-y) ending

Australian English
Standard English
Aussie
Barbie
Beautie
Bikkie
Bitie
Brekkie
Bushie
Australian
Barbeque
Beautiful
Biscuit
Biting insect
Breakfast
Someone who lives in the
bush

12.

Chokkie
Cozzie
Chrissie
Exy
Kindie
Lippy
Mozzie
Oldies
Postie
Prezzie
Chocolate
Swimming suit
Christmas
Expensive
Kindergarten
Lipstick
Mosquito
Parents
Postman
Present

13.

Rellie
Sickie
Sunnies
Surfy
Swaggie
Trackies
Truckie
Vedgie
Relatives
Day off sick from work
Sun-glasses
Surfing fanatic
Swagman
Tracksuit
Truck driver
Vegetable

14. -za diminutive

Barry becomes Bazza,
Karen becomes Kazza,
Sharon becomes Shazza.

15. Abbreviations in Australian English

beaut (great, beautiful),
BYO (Bring Your Own restaurant, party, barbecue etc),
deli (delicatessen),
hoon (hooligan),
nana (banana),
roo (kangaroo),
uni (university),
ute (utility truck or vehicle)

16. Influence of Australian Aboriginal languages

17.

Dingo
Kangaroo
Boomerang
Budgerigar
Wallaby
cooee /kʉː.iː/
a high-pitched call for attracting attention
a national distance: if he’s within cooee, we’ll spot him.
hard yakka = hard work

18. Colloquialisms

as bald as a bandicoot –совершенно лысый
as cunning as a dunny rat - коварный,
пронырливый
as lonely as a country dunny – покинутый, одинокий
flat out like a lizard drinking – очень занятый

19.

in full feather – при полном параде
rough end of a pineapple - неудачная сделка
not to know Christmas from Bourke Street - не иметь
понятия
not to have a brass razoo – очень бедный
dingo’s breakfast – без завтрака

20. Sample Text in Australian English

I got up and put on my black daks. They are the most exy piece of my clobber
as they’re my Dad’s last Chrissie prezzie. My Dad’s a bonzer bloke and I like him
most of all my rellies. That’s cos I’ve got no Mum and my brother’s a bloody
bludger and an ignorant ocker. We’ve never been matey with each other and I
often get aggro with him.
I had a nana and a sanger for brekkie and then took my ankle biters to the kindie.
In the arvo I talked to my nibs about our new Kiwi bizzo partners, and I had a
snag and a durry during the smoko. In the evo I dropped in to the shop to buy
some tucker and grog for the barbie we’ll have on Sunday. It’s London to a brick
that no one will bring anything, we’ve agreed it would be a BYO party though.
I had a chook, some vedgies and amber for tea and then Shazza lobbed in. She
looked beaut and in full feather, so she earbashed all night long. In the end I had
to walk her to her unit, cos my car had gone cactus. When I was back I felt a bit
crook, so I hit the sack right away.

21.

“Waltzing Matilda”
by
Banjo Paterson