![]() However, as the Oxford English Dictionary describes, its use “is especially associated with Australia”. That other long-time favourite ending -o occurs all round the English-speaking world. Bottle-o, milko and smoko: still alive-o? Many of the gems in Wendy Allen’s 1980s collection of youth slang in Melbourne ( Teenage speech) have bitten the dust (for example, scottie from “he’s got no friends” -> “s’got no friends” -> “s’got + ie”).īut the second edition of the Australian National Dictionary shows us how many -ie/y words have proliferated since the 1980s/1990s ( firie, tradie, trackie daks). We are, however, constantly refreshing our stock of -ie/y words. International celebrities include greenie, pollie, surfie, mozzie, budgie (and its offshoot budgie smugglers).Īnd let’s not forget the linguistic rockstar that is selfie – its meteoric rise to stardom in 2013 saw it crowned Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries, and also by the Van Dale dictionary in the Netherlands. So thriving in fact are these expressions that some are among Australia’s successful exports. Get yer hand off it, mate, Australian slang is not dying Slang might come and go, but the process that transforms sunglasses into sunnies and tracksuit pants into trackies continues to thrive. Those sunnies, scungies, boardies, cozzies, stubbies and trackies are still the stuff of our sartorial summer fashion. In contrast to -ling, our -ie/-y endings carry important, positive meanings, and there’s no sign yet that we’re giving up on them. ![]() However, by modern times it had flipped and become contemptuous, especially when used of humans (think of weakling and underling). We see it still on words like twinkling and darling. One of the oldest endings (found as far back as Anglo-Saxon times) is -ling. Colloquialisms such as barbie and smoko are like accents – part of the glue that sticks Australian English speakers together.ĭiminutives can die out when they take on the burden of new social meanings. Adult Australians might cheerfully talk about blowies and trackies, but not birdies and doggies - well, unless it’s on the golf course or perhaps in reference to the Western Bulldogs getting a specky (spectacular mark).įor Australian National University linguist Anna Wierzbicka, these expressions are among the most culturally salient features of Australian English - expressions of informality and solidarity that are “uniquely suited to the Anglo-Australian ethos and style of interaction”.Įxperiments by Australian linguists have empirically confirmed the social effects of these embellished words. These “diminutives” are also a world away from the birdies and doggies of the nursery. Indeed, saying journo or pollie doesn’t usually indicate we’re thinking of journalists and politicians as small and endearing things. Certainly, on names, -ie/y and -o are often affectionate (think Susy and Robbo).īut the vast majority of Aussie diminutives are doing something different. Pet names with such endings can show we have a warm or simply friendly attitude toward something or someone (think of the -s on Cuddles). These alternative forms of words are often described as “diminutives” (or hypocoristics). Here’s an uplifting story for your hollies (holidays) about Australia’s “ incredible shrinking words”.
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