Australian English features
We continue our series of materials about the dialects and accents of the English language. And this time we will talk about Australia.
In a linguistic context, the development of English in Australia attracts attention. After all, the first settlers on the mainland, not counting the Aborigines, were exiled convicts who were convicted in Britain for serious crimes. And naturally, the absolute majority of them knew the language very mediocre. Many did not know how to write, but spoke with wild accents or multiple grammatical errors.
So the conditions for the development of a language are very, very strange. What came out of it - let's find out.
The colonization of Australia by Great Britain began in 1788, when the British founded the colony of New Wales on the territory of the mainland.
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At that time there were no good times in Britain. The prisons were overcrowded due to the increased crime rate. And for the construction of new correctional colonies required considerable investments.
Therefore, the authorities decided to send those convicted of serious crimes to another continent - to Australia. Initially, New Wales was planning to make a free colony, but there was an extremely acute shortage of workers. And there were not many people willing to move so far.
Thus began the history of the development of Australia, is directly related to the British criminals of all stripes.
Link convicts to Australia lasted as much as 80 years. Only in 1868 a decree was issued to stop sending criminals to the mainland.
Interestingly, researcher Peter Miller Cunningham already in 1820 wrote in his works that Australian English is very different from British.
In the book "Two Years in New South Wales" ("Two Years in New South Wales"), he noted: "Australian English can be viewed as a kind of petrified cockney from the Dickens era . "
In the 1850s, reserves of gold ore were suddenly discovered in Australia. And then the mainland was literally poured from the British, who were looking for a better life. Over the next 50 years, about 2% of the total population of Britain moved to Australia.
Here began the second wave of English language development in Australia. Illiterate English convicts began to acquire structure. However, the language at that time was changing quite actively.
The famous linguist Bruce Moore stated: "The immigrants from south-east England made a great contribution to the development of Australian English during the gold rush . "
In Australian English there are many borrowings from different languages: German, Polish, Belgian and other European, which became popular during the gold rush. People preferred to live with their own national groups, which is why internal words and phrases of certain nations often took root in specific locations. Especially a lot of borrowing and unique names in the field of cooking and geographical names.
For example, cooked smoked pork sausage in different Australian states has different names:
Some linguistic researchers compare Australian English with a museum, which has preserved regionalism of the 18th and 19th centuries, which in British English has long been forgotten.
It is noteworthy that in Australian English words are used from all regions of Britain, without exception, which indicates a significant mixing of cultures and languages. For example, words from:
dust up - fight;
tootsie - leg (diminutive form of "foot");
corker - a terrific instance (about a person or thing).
Nevertheless, many phrases that are authentic and in an interesting way reflect the realities of Australian life:
More Australians love cuts. After all, why say a long word, if you can pick up a short equivalent to it?
Even the self-name of the Australians went from a reduction. Indigenous people call themselves "aussie", abbreviated from "australians".
Interestingly, the more important and relevant for Australians is the scope of activities, the more unique words and symbols in it. The greatest number of authentic words is in the areas of flora and fauna, landscape, cattle breeding, mining, including gold. In general areas of knowledge, Australians use common vocabulary.
The British, when visiting Australia, note that Australian English is more informal than British and even American. In the order of things refer to a stranger “Hi, mate” - this will not be considered rude. Of course, if every second animal on the continent is trying to kill you and eat you, then surely "all people are brothers."
Spoken Australian English uses unusual phrases for the British. For example:
There are not too many similar differences, but they need to be learned.
The pronunciation of Australians is generally quite understandable, but Australians often resort to abbreviations and skips of sounds.
Most often, non-accented vowels and muted consonants are omitted. In a quick conversation, it sounds like some of the sounds are just being swallowed.
But if you understand fluent British English, then there will be no problem with understanding Australian English. Is that take a little time to get used to the style of speech.
There is a big differentiation in terms of emphasis, depending on the location. In large cities, the pronunciation is closer to British English, but the farther from them, the stronger the emphasis.
Australian English is a veritable vinaigrette in which features of different variants of English come together, the language of the aborigines, as well as a separate vocabulary from many European languages.
If we consider the long isolation of Australia from the “Big World” due to remoteness, then essentially linguists have received a large-scale experiment in which it is possible to trace how languages ​​mix and create a dialect with their own features and interesting features.
We recommend to study Australian English only for those who are planning to move to Australia or will conduct business with Australian companies. The rest will be interesting to get acquainted with it for general development, but it is better to study the classical variants: British or American English.
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In a linguistic context, the development of English in Australia attracts attention. After all, the first settlers on the mainland, not counting the Aborigines, were exiled convicts who were convicted in Britain for serious crimes. And naturally, the absolute majority of them knew the language very mediocre. Many did not know how to write, but spoke with wild accents or multiple grammatical errors.
So the conditions for the development of a language are very, very strange. What came out of it - let's find out.
The history of the formation of Australian English
The colonization of Australia by Great Britain began in 1788, when the British founded the colony of New Wales on the territory of the mainland.
')
At that time there were no good times in Britain. The prisons were overcrowded due to the increased crime rate. And for the construction of new correctional colonies required considerable investments.
Therefore, the authorities decided to send those convicted of serious crimes to another continent - to Australia. Initially, New Wales was planning to make a free colony, but there was an extremely acute shortage of workers. And there were not many people willing to move so far.
Thus began the history of the development of Australia, is directly related to the British criminals of all stripes.
Link convicts to Australia lasted as much as 80 years. Only in 1868 a decree was issued to stop sending criminals to the mainland.
Interestingly, researcher Peter Miller Cunningham already in 1820 wrote in his works that Australian English is very different from British.
In the book "Two Years in New South Wales" ("Two Years in New South Wales"), he noted: "Australian English can be viewed as a kind of petrified cockney from the Dickens era . "
In the 1850s, reserves of gold ore were suddenly discovered in Australia. And then the mainland was literally poured from the British, who were looking for a better life. Over the next 50 years, about 2% of the total population of Britain moved to Australia.
Here began the second wave of English language development in Australia. Illiterate English convicts began to acquire structure. However, the language at that time was changing quite actively.
The famous linguist Bruce Moore stated: "The immigrants from south-east England made a great contribution to the development of Australian English during the gold rush . "
Australian English: features and nuances
In Australian English there are many borrowings from different languages: German, Polish, Belgian and other European, which became popular during the gold rush. People preferred to live with their own national groups, which is why internal words and phrases of certain nations often took root in specific locations. Especially a lot of borrowing and unique names in the field of cooking and geographical names.
For example, cooked smoked pork sausage in different Australian states has different names:
- in the state of South Australia - "fritz";
- in the state of New South Wales - "devon";
- on the island of Tasmania - "Belgium sausage";
- in the city of Newcastle - "Empire sausage";
- in the state of Western Australia - "polony";
- in Queensland - Windsor sausage;
- in Victoria - Strasburg or German sausage.
Some linguistic researchers compare Australian English with a museum, which has preserved regionalism of the 18th and 19th centuries, which in British English has long been forgotten.
It is noteworthy that in Australian English words are used from all regions of Britain, without exception, which indicates a significant mixing of cultures and languages. For example, words from:
- Ireland:
dust up - fight;
tootsie - leg (diminutive form of "foot");
corker - a terrific instance (about a person or thing).
- Scotland: billy - a bucket for milk;
- Workshire: larrikin - a bully;
- Cornwall: to fossick - dig, search for gold;
- The central counties of England: to stonker - exhausted.
- Suffolk: cobber - friend, mate;
- Kent: clobber - dressed up, "peacock".
Nevertheless, many phrases that are authentic and in an interesting way reflect the realities of Australian life:
- Shark biscuits - literally: "cookies for sharks." So called novice surfers.
- Wouldn't shout if a shark bit him - literally: “it won't scream even if it is bitten by a shark”. So called a mean and greedy person. In this phrase, an interesting play on words, because “shout” means not only “shouting”, but also “treating someone”.
- Boomerang - boomerang. It means not only the famous weapons of the Aborigines, but also any thing that you have taken to use and it must be returned.
- Down Under - "under the equator". So called New Zealand and Australia.
More Australians love cuts. After all, why say a long word, if you can pick up a short equivalent to it?
- Document - doco;
- Smoking - smoko;
- Football - footie.
Even the self-name of the Australians went from a reduction. Indigenous people call themselves "aussie", abbreviated from "australians".
The British and Americans were honored by the Australians for their own humorous mocking names.In general, Australian English does not cause problems. British spelling, vocabulary mostly - too. There are a small number of American words and a small percentage of native Australian Aboriginal languages.
Americans are often called "Seppos." The etymology of the word is very interesting - it comes from Cockney rhyming dialect. It is formed by the chain "Yanks" - "Septic tanks" - "Seppos". And although it was the rhymed cockney in Australia that practically did not catch on, there is a memory of it.
Brits in Australia are called “pommie” or “pom”. What is the reason for this is not entirely clear, but linguists have several versions. The first is the color of the form of British soldiers. Pom is one of the red markings. For example, in the word pomegranate. The second popular version says that pome is an abbreviation for prisoners arriving from Britain. "Prisoner of mother England." The second version sounds more interesting, but personally we are inclined to the first.
Interestingly, the more important and relevant for Australians is the scope of activities, the more unique words and symbols in it. The greatest number of authentic words is in the areas of flora and fauna, landscape, cattle breeding, mining, including gold. In general areas of knowledge, Australians use common vocabulary.
The British, when visiting Australia, note that Australian English is more informal than British and even American. In the order of things refer to a stranger “Hi, mate” - this will not be considered rude. Of course, if every second animal on the continent is trying to kill you and eat you, then surely "all people are brothers."
Spoken Australian English uses unusual phrases for the British. For example:
- Good on yer! - Good day!
- How're you going? - How are you?
There are not too many similar differences, but they need to be learned.
The pronunciation of Australians is generally quite understandable, but Australians often resort to abbreviations and skips of sounds.
Most often, non-accented vowels and muted consonants are omitted. In a quick conversation, it sounds like some of the sounds are just being swallowed.
But if you understand fluent British English, then there will be no problem with understanding Australian English. Is that take a little time to get used to the style of speech.
There is a big differentiation in terms of emphasis, depending on the location. In large cities, the pronunciation is closer to British English, but the farther from them, the stronger the emphasis.
findings
Australian English is a veritable vinaigrette in which features of different variants of English come together, the language of the aborigines, as well as a separate vocabulary from many European languages.
If we consider the long isolation of Australia from the “Big World” due to remoteness, then essentially linguists have received a large-scale experiment in which it is possible to trace how languages ​​mix and create a dialect with their own features and interesting features.
We recommend to study Australian English only for those who are planning to move to Australia or will conduct business with Australian companies. The rest will be interesting to get acquainted with it for general development, but it is better to study the classical variants: British or American English.
Learn English with pleasure!
EnglishDom.com is an online school that inspires learning English through innovation and human concern.
→ Crank in English on online courses from EnglishDom.com
According to the link - 2 months of premium subscription for all courses as a gift.
→ For live communication - choose individual training via Skype with a teacher.
The first trial lesson is free, register here . The promo code goodhabr2 - 2 lessons as a gift when buying from 10 lessons. The bonus is valid until 05/31/19.
Our products:
ED Courses application in Google Play Store
ED Courses app on the App Store
Our youtube channel
Online simulator
Talking clubs
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/443390/
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