Jill Vaughan, University of Melbourne; Katie Jepson, University of Melbourne, and Rosey Billington, University of Melbourne
Is Australia about to descend into civil war over whether a deep-fried potato snack is rightfully called a “potato cake” or a “potato scallop”? From some recent headlines, you might be forgiven for thinking so.
A series of maps showing differences in words used across Australia sparked fierce debates online over the virtues of calling a barbecued sausage served in a single slice of bread a “sausage in bread” or a “sausage sandwich”.
Given that these maps were put together as part of an educational activity for students participating in the Linguistics Roadshow, the huge interest in the way Australian English is used across the country took us by surprise. But, perhaps it shouldn’t have.
It’s often said that Australian English doesn’t vary much geographically – and it’s true that we don’t find the same striking linguistic differences across the country as in some other corners of the English-speaking world.
However, past and ongoing research has shown that there are some regional differences. Among the most obvious are the words people use for the same thing, such as swimwear – preferences for “togs”, “swimmers”, “cossie” or “bathers” vary markedly across the states and territories.
Words for swimwear around Australia
Rosey Billington, Lauren Gawne, Kathleen Jepson, and Jill Vaughan ‘Mapping words around Australia’ (bit.ly/AusWordsMaps)
Where do these linguistic differences stem from?
Australian English developed from the speech of colonists from various parts of the British Isles, so sometimes the word used in a particular Australian region is the result of one option winning out among people from different British backgrounds.
Others might be derived from the names of people or brands, or borrowed from local Indigenous languages.
Each word has its own history, but many words across the country have a shared history – that’s what makes these exceptions stand out.
What’s fascinating is just how neatly some of this variation lines up with state lines, which suggests that there is something more than just the historical choices made by colonists or the distance between different locations contributing to these differences.
Striking examples of this phenomenon can be seen for border towns such as Albury-Wodonga, where a short walk across the bridge means you’ll hear a majority of people using a different word for swimwear.
More ‘bathers’ on the Victorian side of the border, more ‘swimmers’ on the New South Wales side.
Rosey Billington, Lauren Gawne, Kathleen Jepson, and Jill Vaughan ‘Mapping words around Australia’ (bit.ly/AusWordsMaps)
This is because certain words become strongly associated with a regional identity.
When there is more than one option to choose from, individuals might use a particular word because it’s the most common term in their community, but also because that word indexes a broader group identity, such as Victorian versus New South Wales.
Top Comments
Peanut paste. I can't get used to it being called "peanut butter"
Sometimes it really is crayfish. Lobster is lobster, or American crayfish.
Devon: polony, balony, luncheon, "lips and @rseholes", Fritz, straw,