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Australia Literature and Language
Questions and information about literature and languages of Australia.
633 Questions
In Australian slang what is a chook?
In Australian slang, a "chook" is a chicken.
Practical application: "Hey Mum, what's for dinner?" "Roast chook and vegies."
What was Louisa Lawson famous for?
Louisa Lawson is famous for her feminist journal Dawn: a Journal for Australian Women. This journal aimed to help women fight for more rights and was widely read. After joining the Womanhood Suffrage League in 1891 she established her own campaign for female suffrage, calling it the Dawn Club. In this, Louisa held regular meetings for women to discuss matters relating to everyday life. She presented arguments through her editorials in Dawn for more employment opportunities for women as well as the importance of voting for women.
Louisa Lawson's journalistic and political efforts greatly helped in making the vote for women a precondition for federation in Australia.
"Emmachisit" is a facetious way of describing some Australians' way of pronouncing the words "How much is it?" This pronunciation is by no means endemic among all Australians .........
When were budgie smugglers invented?
Budgie smugglers, aka men's tight-fitting speedos (swimmers) have been around for decades, but the term really only took off from 2001 onwards. The first time the term was used in print was in a 2002 Rivers clothing and footwear catalogue.
Is there an Aussie slang for excellent?
Beauty (pronounced bewdy), grouse or bonza. Any of these can mean that the state of affairs is better than average up to first class.
What are some Australian words that are unique to the Australian language?
- G'day (a generic term meaning hello, usually accompanied by "mate" as in "G'day mate" when speaking to a bloke)
- Bloke (a man - but this word is also common in England)
- Beaut or Beauty - pronounced 'Bewdy' (means great or terrific)
- Barbie (barbecue)
- Hooroo (goodbye)
- Bikkies (biscuits)
- arvo ( afternoon)
- "No worries" (can be translated as "Sure!" or "Anytime!" or just "Yes.")
- Cooee - a way of calling out for someone you're looking for - derived from the Aboriginal way of calling to each other, as the sound carries along way in the bush when called with a particular inflection and pitch
Buggar all is a curse. It means the same thing as d*mn it all or f*ck it all.
The background life of Banjo Paterson?
AB 'Banjo' Paterson was a famous (and favourite) Australian poet and writer. He was also a war correspondent during the Boer war. His distinctive name came when, in 1885, he began publishing his poetry in the Sydney edition of The Bulletin under the pseudonym of "The Banjo", the name of a favourite horse. In 1890 he wrote "The Man From Snowy River", a poem which caught the heart of the nation, and really propelled him to fame.
"Waltzing Matilda" was written by Andrew Barton Paterson, also known as 'Banjo' Paterson, in 1895.
The lyrics were based on the story of a man named Samuel "Frenchy" Hoffmeister. In September 1894, on the Dagworth sheep station north of Winton, Queensland, some shearers were in a strike that turned violent. The strikers fired off their rifles and pistols in the air and then set fire to the woolshed at the Dagworth Homestead, killing over a hundred sheep. The owner of Dagworth Homestead and three policemen pursued Hoffmeister who, rather than be captured, shot and killed himself at a billabong.
The identity of the composer of the tune is uncertain, but this much is known: it was set to a catchy tune which a friend of Paterson's had heard at the Warrnambool races. The poem and song was first performed on 6 April 1895 at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland.
Since no organization can claim to represent the whole world, there is no "official" language for the world. The closest such organization would be the United Nations, which uses six official languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French, and Russian. The use of languages by international organizations is usually related to the number of speakers rather than any "official" status. This is why, for example, English and Spanish have become defacto global standards. English is clearly a global language, but this is merely a measure of its widespread use, not of any official recognition.
Why did lynley dodd start writing books?
Lynley Dodd first started writing her great books at an age that she was thinking about everything and how they went along.
so she wasn't to young and wasn't to old not saying that she is now but that's when it all began then the rest is a hole other story.........
The company was granted a patent for some feature used in the design of this firearm on each of those dates.
Why wouldn't Australians use slang, it is part of our culture and anyway who can be bothered saying the full word.
Everyone uses slang expressions in one way or another. Australians happen to be creative, resourceful and tough enough to be particularly good at it. This is also part of the way languages naturally grow and change. English is a very flexible language.
What languages do people of Sydney?
I assume you mean indigenous language and that depends on which part of Sydney you're referring to. What we now consider as Sydney is Dharug country and that is the root language spoken there. However the Dharug people (or tribe if you like) was subdivided into clans, each with its own dialect of Dharug. For example, Parramatta - once a separate settlement but now a city within Sydney - is the land of the Parramattagal. Parra [Burra] eel, matta [river], gal, group/place. In other words the Eel River People
What is toilet in Australian slang?
Toilets are called toilets in Australia.
A toilet is also colloquially known as dunny or loo.
What is a deep pond or watering hole called in Australia?
A deep pond is simply that: a deep pond. A watering hole is usually known as a watering hole, though, depending on how it has been formed, it may be called a billabong. However, a billabong is only a billabong when it has been cut off from its main river or creek source by the river changing direction. An ordinary stand-alone pond or watering hole is not a billabong.
What is the main language spoken in Maryland?
People in Maryland, USA, speak English. English is the national language of all 50 states in the U.S.
What does mob mean in Australian slang?
"Mob" is an English word. It means a number of things, or a group. The word was noted as early as 1688, to refer to a large gang of people - long before Australia was ever settled by Europeans.
In the Australian "bush" vernacular, a "mob" can refer to a herd of sheep or cattle being driven or herded (by a drover) overland.
It can also refer to a large group of waterfowl, usually ducks.
How do you say speaking aboriginal in aboriginal?
There is no one Aboriginal language. It is like asking how to say something in European. When Europeans first came to Australia there were about 400 give or take distinct languages and dialects, none of them related to any other language in the world. Many of them were lost as the speakers' clans and tribes were massacred or died, some have only a few speakers, but many are still strong and yet others are being revived. So what you need to ask is "How do you say speaking [Group name] in [Group name]" For example How do you say speaking Wiradjuri (or Pitjantjatara or Pintipu or any one of the hundreds of groups and clans) in Wiradjuri.
What influenced Henry Lawson to be a poet?
Henry Lawson, born on the Grenfell goldfields in New South Wales in 1867, became one of Australia's best-known fiction writers of the colonial period. Most of his works dwelt on the Australian bush, accurately depicting the difficult conditions of life on dry, dusty outback stations and in bush towns.
Lawson gained a loyal following when the Bulletin started to publish his stories and poems in 1888. He was best known for works such as "While the Billy Boils", "Over the Sliprails" and his prolific short stories which smacked of dry humour and often had an ironic twist.
Unlike his contemporary, A.B. "Banjo" Paterson, he did not romanticise life in the bush, and the humour he displayed tended to be dry and sardonic, rather than like Paterson's larrikin wit. Lawson died in 1922.
What are the top five languages spoken in Australia?
Australia has no official language and no declared national language. English is the default language throughout the country.
According to the official CIA World factbook, 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.
The CIA World Factbook lists, after English: Chinese 2.5%, Italian 1.6%, Greek 1.3%, Arabic 1.2% and Vietnamese 1%.
Another 8.2% have been recorded as speaking other languages, and 5.7 % are unspecified. These include indigenous Australian languages, spoken, as well as English, by 50% of indigenous Australians. 11% of indigenous people speak an indigenous language as their main language.
There are many remaining Aboriginal languages (about seventy) spoken by the Indigenous people, and these are all unique. For example, Ngarrindjeri is the dialect of the lower Murray and Coorong area, and this is quite different to, say, the Arrernte or Arunda of central Australia.
A large number of people in the original German-settled areas of the Barossa and Riverina maintain their German heritage, customs and language; as with all countries where the population is largely immigrant, this is common throughout Australia, and communites everywhere celebrate their heritage - including their languages - from all parts of the world, in daily life and regular festivals.
All capital cities and many regional areas have language centres, frequently part of cultural organisations, which offer language studies as well as the opportunity to learn more about the many cultures which make up the Australian community.
For a list of aboriginal languages in Australia, past and present, please see the related question.
predominately english
Every main global language is spoken in Australia (English, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, German, etc.) However, the main language of Australia is English.
English
English. ;D
Australian English.
Aboriginal (natives)-
There are more than 200 clans/groups with their own tongue
Non-Indigineous-
range from English to Portuguese, but mostly English. Because Australia a multicultural country, it has many different people from different countries.
Source:
I live there
The language largely associated with Australia is English, however, as with practically every country there are many different languages spoken. Besides English, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, and Greek are some of the other languages spoken in Australia. The English speaking population has a distinct vocabulary and accent.
The main lauguage of Australia is English.
English
Mainly English, but there is a small percent that speak French, Italian, Chinese, and Greek.
Very few native French speakers actually. Australia has a number of Aboriginal languages, with some speakers who don't speak English, though these are mostly in remote areas. As for recent immigrant populations, plenty of Hindi and other South Asian languages, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese languages, Korean. Vietnamese and other South East Asian languages. Russian and several Slavic languages. Most immigrants speak at least some English.
English is the language spoken by the people of Australia.
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.
English is spoken by 80% of Australia's population. Other languages spoken by small groups include Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and Greek.
The languages of the Australian aborigines make up many more languages in Australia. To see a list of aboriginal languages in Australia, see the related question.
2
There are more than 200 Australian Indigenous languages. The link below will tell you more about them
English.
Of course there are migrants who still speak their native language, but officially, it's English.
There is/was no single native language of Australia. Pama-nyungan is the largest indigenous language group of the original Aboriginal Australians, consisting of 160 of the 228 identifiable languages. One of the languages within this family group is Arrernta, a dialect of the central Australian desert. Many employers require their employees to learn this language, and it is also taught in some central Australia schools, as it is important to communicate with the Arrernte Aborigines in their own language.
The chief language of Australia is the English language.
Australia has no official language and no declared national language. English is the primary language throughout the country.
According to the official CIA World Factbook after English, Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, in that order, are the most widely-spoken languages, but the languages of most cultures are represented and spoken by Australians.
50% of indigenous Australians speak one of the roughly 70 indigenous Australian languages remaining in use. 11% of indigenous people speak an indigenous language as their main language.
Haha i think this quite humerous seeing as i am "Australian" unfortunately we do not speak Australian..... we speak English although some Australians beileve we do have our own language because of our slang way of talking. Some of the most common eg. Crikey (Steve Irwin RIP) is his way getting everyones attention and i guess to say Look Out for his crew. More i guess are Throw more snags on the barbie Americans may think of this as another language unfortunately no. It Means More Sausages On the Barbecue. Also G'day which is just Good Day There are alot of sayings which are just in daily life. I've learned how to talk from parents they did the same so it comes down the line. Hope that helps you out a bit. Catcha Later (link below will help) http://www.aussieslang.com/slang/australian-slang-a.asp
Australians speak English.
They do not have an official language in Australia, but the national one is Australian English.
In addition to a form of English established there by the soldiers and criminals who were its first European population, there are some 200 aboriginal languages in Australia, of which a handful are still vital.
