Regional variation in Australian English
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It is sometimes claimed that regional variations in pronunciation and accent of Australian English exist, but if present at all they are very small compared to those of British, Irish and North American English – sufficiently so that linguists are divided on the question. Overall, pronunciation is determined less by region than by social and educational influences.
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[edit] Regional vocabulary
There is, however, some variation in Australian English vocabulary between different regions. An example often cited by linguists is the variety of names given by Australians to bland, processed pork products – known in other countries as pork luncheon meat or baloney – is so great, that these words are used by linguists to ascertain not only which Australian state or territory a person is from, but also regional origin within states in some cases. For example, in South Australia (SA) this product is known as fritz, for most people in Victoria (Vic) it is stras, in most of New South Wales (NSW) it is devon, in Western Australia (WA) polony, in Queensland (Qld) windsor ("devon" is also used), in Tasmania (Tas) belgium, and so on. (See Australian words for processed pork, for more details.)
Regional variation does not respect state borders, and this is shown, for example, by the fact that both Queenslanders and people from northern New South Wales say port (short for portmanteau) while people in the other states say case, school bag, backpack, rucksack and/or knapsack. In the past variation was so strong that the residents of the NSW town of Maitland would use the word port where Newcastle, some 20 kilometres away, would prefer the latter term.
There is also great variety in the names of beer glasses from one area to another. For example, a standard 285ml (10 fl.oz.) glass, in different states or regions, is known as a middy (NSW/WA/ACT), pot (Vic/Qld/Tas), handle (NT/SA), ten (SA/Tas) or schooner (SA). Such variation causes great confusion, especially since a schooner is a 425 ml (15 fl.oz.) glass in every state that uses the word except SA.
In NSW and Queensland swimwear is known as swimmers, cossie or togs. In most other areas the term bathers is preferred.
Another example is the word tuckshop which is used in Queensland and northern NSW to describe a food outlet on school premises; the word canteen is now more common in other areas of Australia, although tuckshop may occasionally be used in those areas as well.[citation needed]
There are many regional variations for describing social classes or subcultures. The best example is probably bogan (fairly universal), which is also referred to as bevan in Queensland and booner in the ACT.[citation needed]
The differences are not restricted to words. For example, it is often said that people from some parts of Queensland end sentences with the interrogative "eh?" (or "hay?", "hey"). This is also common in both New Zealand English and Canadian English. However, in Australian English, this form has also spread into some parts of New South Wales.[citation needed]
The steadily increasing centralisation of film, TV and radio production, however, may be spreading new words more rapidly and blurring such distinctions.
[edit] Sport variations
Many regional variations are as a result of the Australian passion for sport and the differences in non-linguistic traditions from one state to another: the word football refers to the most popular code of football in different States or regions, or even ethnic groups within them. Victorians start a game of Australian rules football with a ball up, Western Australians with a bounce down; New South Welsh people and Queenslanders start a game of rugby league football or rugby union football with a kick off, as do football (soccer) players across Australia.
In the early 21st century the Football Federation Australia attempted to foster use of "football" to mean soccer, in accordance with general international usage and several media outlets have adopted this use [1][2]. This use has not spread into the mainstream, however, use of the word "football", to mean either Australian football or Rugby League, is well-established in Australia.
The Australian slang word footy has been traditionally associated with either Australian rules football or rugby league football. The word has also been adopted to a slightly lesser degree by rugby union followers, following directly from the association of the word to describe the most popular football code. Examples in popular culture includes the The Footy Show. More recently it has been adopted in other countries in reference to other codes, such as the UK (soccer) and New Zealand (rugby union).
For many Australian rules followers, the verb barrack (or the accompanying noun form barracker), is used to describe following a team or club. Barrack has its origins in British English, although in the UK it now usually means to jeer or denigrate an opposing team or players. The expression "root (or rooting) for a team", as used in the United States, is not generally used in Australia as root (or rooting) is slang for sexual intercourse.
[edit] Specific Regional Dialects
[edit] South Australian English
South Australian English is the collective name given to the varieties of English spoken in South Australia. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Macquarie Dictionary there are three localised varieties: Adelaide English, Eyre and Yorke Peninsula English and Northern South Australia English.
It is sometimes claimed that South Australians have a distinct regional accent. However there is no hard evidence for this. The more significant distinguishing feature of South Australian English is vocabulary which has been strongly influenced by early settlers to the state. Of particular interest here are the German and Cornish immigrants. South Australian dialects also preserve some British English usages which do not occur elsewhere in Australia.
[edit] Western Australian English
Western Australian English, or West Australian English, is the collective name given to the variety or varieties of English spoken in Western Australia. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Macquarie Dictionary there are three localised, regional varieties of English in WA: Perth English; Central West Australian English and Northern West Australian English.
While there is no well-known "West Australian accent", some linguists have suggested that Western Australians tend to pronounce words such as beer with two syllables (/biː.ə/), in cases where other Australians use one syllable.
It is in vocabulary where Western Australian English is most distinct from other regional varieties. Some common British usages, which are rare in other parts of Australia, have survived. Some US terms have found a niche in WA. Many words from Aboriginal languages have found their way into West Australian English. There are also many unique, invented slang words.
