Australia Literature and Language

The word "lass" is often used in Australia to describe a young girl. Colloquially the term "sheila" can be used in Australia to refer to a female.

Usually because they have a shower or bath tub in the same room, so naturally we just say the bathroom. We also say restroom, but i never really understood that either.

Some of this is because of Americans' desire to avoid using the word "toilet" at least historically. It was considered to be a big vulgar. So "bathroom" became the euphemism for "toilet."

The object receives the action of the verb. There are indirect and direct objects.

A verb is an action word, a noun is an object. In the sentence "John ran to school." the verb is "ran", and the noun is "John".

In Australian slang, "flog" means to steal or to sell something illegally. It is often used to describe someone who is dishonest or sneaky.

It is estimated that approximately 1-2% of the world's population has red hair, which equates to around 70-140 million people worldwide.

English is the main language spoken in Australia, but it is not the official language, as Australia has no declared official language.

English is spoken by 78.5% of Australia's population. After English, Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese, in that order, are the most widely-spoken languages, and languages of most cultures are represented and spoken by Australians.

There are estimated to be around 250-300 different Aboriginal languages and dialects spoken in Australia. However, many of these languages are endangered with only a few fluent speakers remaining.

The term back o' Bourke means a place that is far beyond settled areas, in the outback. It refers to a place that is very remote from any civilisation. If someone comes from the back o' Bourke, it means he comes from beyond the black stump,another Australian colloquialism for the remote areas of the outback.

Approximately 2.2% of the Australian population speak Chinese as their primary language at home.

There is no specific number of people who speak "Australian" as a language. Australian English is the official language of Australia and is spoken by the majority of the population, along with various indigenous languages and immigrant languages.

root = another term for engaging in sexual relations.

A bundle carried by a swagman typically includes essential items for survival and comfort while traveling, such as a sleeping blanket, food, cooking utensils, and personal belongings. It is usually tied together and slung over the swagman's shoulder or carried on a stick over the shoulder.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, given the census figures for 2011, an estimated 76.8% of Australians speak only English at home. However, there are another 22% or so who speak English as a second or third language.

We speak English in Australia.

A reasonable translation would be "talk".

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We're also likely to speak (and there's another Australian word for 'talk') of 'having a yarn', an old phrase still widely in use today; so someone might say, 'Had a yarn with Ted the other day,'.

Other things we do to exchange information are chat, gossip, and all the other conversational things the English-speaking world does.

'Let's have coffee (or a drink)' is, as in many other parts of the world, a euphemism for 'let's talk'. 'Let's do lunch,' is an invitation to talk in some depth, and 'Let's have dinner,' means really serious talk will probably happen.

Way back, when we told a story, we'd 'spin a yarn', and 'come in spinner' became an invitation to tell a tale, along with its other meanings involving sport, from cricket to fishing and beyond, as well as a traditional form of gambling. These terms are still popular in Australia.

There are plenty of other colourful Australianisms, frequently traceable to British terms, which refer to conversation.

All Indigenous Australian languages have different words for 'talk', as do the very many other languages spoken in Australia, all of which contribute to our lovely language. Many Scottish and Irish people in Australia use the term 'craic', meaning convivial conversation, frequently involving pints of beer. 'Having a cuppa' also means chatting.

And, of course, we mostly just plain 'talk'.

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Yabber is an older word that was commonly used when I was a kid, and wongai (from an indigenous word) was also common. When isolated rural properties and small communities were connected by pedal (and later CB) radio, the womenfolk used to put time aside to chat once or more a week. These times were known as galah sessions.

The English Accent tends to use more open vowel sounds. They also use a thing called the 'glottal stop' quite a lot. You might want to look up youtube videos for that. They basically use it within words, even words such as 'water' so that it sounds like 'wo'a'

The Australian Accent is more drawn and the words kind of run into each other. Casually speaking, they do have a glottal stop but to a lesser degree - they only really use it at the end of a string of words.

A "Tinny" can refer to a "can" (tin) of lovely cold refreshing beer. Practical application - "Grab a tinny from the fridge".

A "Tinny" can also refer to any small boat (with or without motor) contructed from metal and used for fishing, etc. Practical application - "We went for a day's fishing in Bill's tinny".

"Tinny" can also refer to an object, especially a car, that falls below roadworthy mechanical specifications. Practical application - "Don't buy that car, it looks a bit tinny".

"Tinny" applied to a person can imply that his skill in achieving a particular outcome was hugely exceeded by his luck. Practical application - "Bill's a tinny bugger, he caught 6 trout with the wrong sized hooks and wrong bait".

William Lawson came to Australia as a free settler in 1800 to seek new opportunities and to establish his presence in the colony. He played a significant role in the exploration and development of the Australian continent.

Before the white settlement settled in Australia the Aboriginals, spoke a wide range of languages. There was over 500 different languages spoken throughout the aboriginal tribes. Each tribe had their own language. Many of these languages were lost through time as European expansion meant the death of aboriginal culture.

The following is a list of current, viable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages still spoken in Australia. Only twenty of the languages are considered "strong", while the others are endangered.

1. Aboriginal English

2. Anjumarla

3. Arabana

4. Arrernta

5. Awabakal

6. Ayapathu

7. Bardi

8. Bunganditj

9. Bunuba

10. Dalabon

11. Darug

12. Dyirbal

13. Ganai/Kurnai

14. Garawa

15. Gooniyandi

16. Gumbaynggir

17. Gunggari

18. Gurindji

19. Guugu Yimithirr

20. Jagera/Yuragubul

21. Jaru

22. Jingulu

23. Jiwarli

24. Kala Lagaw Ya

25. Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay

26. Kaurna

27. Kayardild

28. Koko-Bera

29. Kriol, pidgins

30. Kukatja

31. Kuku Yalanji

32. Kutthung

33. Malyangapa

34. Marriammu

35. Martuthunira

36. Mawng

37. Meriam Mir

38. Murrinh-Patha

39. Narrungga

40. Ndjebbana

41. Ngadjon

42. Ngalakan

43. Ngarrindjeri

44. Ngiyampaa

45. Nhirrpi

46. Noongar

47. Nyangumarta

48. Paakantyi

49. Pakanh

50. Palawa Kani

51. Pitjantjatjara

52. Pitta Pitta

53. Tiwi

54. Tjapukai

55. Uw Oykangand

56. Wagiman

57. Wambaya

58. Wangkatha

59. Wardaman

60. Warlmanpa

61. Warlpiri

62. Warrungu

63. Waramungu

64. wemba Wemba

65. Wiradjuri

66. Yaegl

67. Yandrruwandha

68. Yanyuwa

69. Yindjibarndi

70. Yolngu

71. Yorta Yorta

72. Yugambeh

73. Yukulta

74. Yuwaalaraay

Not all Aboriginal groups used dilly bags - it is a word taken from dilli, used by a Queensland language group to describe a roughly conical basket carried by a tump line around the forehead. It would have been carried mostly by women and used to hold fruits, vegetables and small game. Other groups used baskets of grass fibre or bark, some utilised skin bags and some used coolamoms (called by different names depending on the language group).

Yes and no.

There is no official language for Australia: English is the default language throughout the country. However, Australians have developed and adapted a number of interesting slang terms which truly leave some overseas visitors completely baffled as to their meaning. Some of these words are derived from Australian aboriginal dialects, and some of them have simply developed from the wide mix of local English and Irish dialects which came with the early convicts.

English is the primary language in western Australia.

As English is the default language throughout Australia, people in Western Australia primarily speak English. However, there are different ethnic groups, all of which have their own language. Various European, Asian, African and American nations are represented.

In addition, there are still some indigenous languages spoken by people of the western deserts.

No. There are no official languages in Australia.

English is the main language spoken in Australia, but it is not the official language, as Australia has no declared official language.

William Lawson was a Scottish explorer who discovered and mapped the Blue Mountains in Australia in 1813, leading to the development of the first European crossing of the mountains. This discovery opened up new opportunities for settlement and expansion in the region.

"Bugger" can be a friendly, colloquial term for a rascal, or it can be used as an insult for someone who's unfair or mean-spirited. It depends entirely on the context. If one is facing a problem, it can also mean that it's an annoying problem and very difficult to figure out, e.g. "It's a real bugger why that engine keeps missing." Similarly, to "bugger up" something means to make a real mess of it. There are also more vulgar connotations, which any dictionary will list, but generally Australians do not use it in that way.