AUSTRALIAN

ENGLISH
Created by Sofiia Kapusta
Australian English is one of many varieties  used
around the world. Therefore it is called a Pluricentric
language: one that functions as a national language in
several countries with its own national dialect.  

WHAT IS AUSTARALIAN ENGLISH?

• Lexicon has taken little from the Indigenous Australian language but
has been rather borrowed from other variations of English
(American/British)
•  Those words taken from the Indigenous Australians are usually
referred to in cultural terms, ir boomerang, corroboree, kookaburra,
mallee, jarrah.  
• Idiomatic/Colloquial expressions are also indicative of our lexicon.

LEXICAL FEATURES OF
AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH
AUSSIE
LIXICON
Shortening words is such an Australian thing.
Almost everything can be cut. Basically, groups
of words are abbreviated and end in -o and -ie
(-y).
• I reckon. This is an efficient way of saying 'I have calculated the likelihood of various
possibilities and settled on this as the most likely. You may disagree if you wish, but
that will simply expose you as the intellectual fraud that you are. It implies that you
have carefully thought about this in the past and that you have already moved on to
other, more interesting topics.
• Arvo. Afternoon (e.g. let's meet in the arvo). Not to be mistaken for a name of a
place. You will get strange looks if you ask someone to direct you to the arvo. Mate.
Wide applications. Friend. Good friend. VERY good friend (wink wink nudge nudge).
Person that bumped into you on the bus.
I reckon. This is an
• G'day mate. Aka Hello. This phrase was used much more frequently by Australians
efficient way of saying 'I
before it was co-opted in 1988 by the writers of Crocodile Dundee II.
have calculated the
• How ya Goin? How are you today?
likelihood This is basically used to see how some one is
of various
feeling. Going should possibilities
not be mistaken
and for How am I going somewhere. This is not for
settled
directions. on this as the most
likely. You may disagree

DO THEY LOOK LIKE THIS?

if you wish, but that will
simply expose you as the
intellectual fraud that
you are. It implies that
you have carefully
thought about this in the
LEXICAL
FEATURES OF AE
From these lexical items, what can we deduct
about Australians? 
Many lexical items offer insight into the
values Australians hold close to them ie,
fairness, community, egalitarianism. Sayings
like FAIR GO, WET BLANKET, BATTLER
are the quintessential Aussie lexical items
indicative of these values.
Obviously some sayings are not as common
as others however from a foreign perspective
these are the common Aussie sayings. 
Perhaps it is right to say that the Australian
lexicon is a mixture of local and foreign
Englishes.
• Whilst these are common usages throughout Australian English, it is
important to recognise that variations do occur and do so in relation
to region, ethnicity, social status. All factors we discussed in our first
PP. 
• It is also important to not that variation may also occur due to the
derivation of sayings from trends. As the world gets more
Americanised many saying work their way into our lexicon.

IN CONCLUSION
THE END