English is the most important language of the world today. Last century’s quantum leaps in
information technologies, like the Internet, enabled us for the first time in history to
communicate with people from all over the world. The world-wide transfer of information in
a global community requires a lingua franca, a language that is understood and can be used
by everybody. Artificial languages, like Esperanto, have not attracted many learners - a
language without a past can have no future.
Instead, English and its numberless variants seem to be able to solve communication
problems in the future. No other language is so widespread, so commonly understood around
the globe. Obviously, the outstanding position of the USA in the fields of politics, economics,
science, and - most important - popular culture like pop music and cinema has contributed to
this fact.
The British Empire has laid the fundament for this development by founding colonies all
over the world, exporting their language even to the opposite side of the globe - Australia and
New Zealand. Like everything else alive, languages in use are subject to change and
development, especially in colonies, as new words are needed for new discoveries and ideas,
or just to simplify communication with natives. Sometimes new ways of pronunciation come
into fashion and spread until everyone has adjusted to them. In the course of the centuries,
even completely new languages can come into existence this way.
In this paper I will examine linguistic particularities of Australian English (AusE) and New
Zealand English (NZE) to find out if they are languages of their own, creoles or just variants
of English. In order to make their development better understandable, I will combine
historical facts about colonists, natives and language developments with linguistic analyses of
today’s Australian and New Zealand English.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Australian English
2.1 Historical Development of Australian English
2.2 A Linguistic Analysis of Australian English
3. New Zealand English
3.1 Development
3.2 Linguistic Analysis
4. Conclusion
5. References
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the linguistic characteristics of Australian and New Zealand English to determine their status as independent languages, creoles, or regional variants. The central research question examines how historical colonization and interactions with native populations have shaped the unique development of these English varieties in comparison to standard British English.
- Historical evolution of colonial English in the Southern Hemisphere
- Linguistic analysis of pronunciation, phonology, and grammar
- Influence of native indigenous languages (Aboriginal and Maori)
- Distinction between cultivated, general, and broad social variants
- Impact of 20th-century socio-political changes on national language identity
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1 Prisoners
The prisons of London were overcrowded, since the former colonies in north America had gained their independence and refused to take any more convicts from the British Islands. Thus, after the so-called “First Fleet“ with prisoners arrived in 1788, about 130.000 of them were transferred to Australia within the first 50 years. Most of them were from cities and suburbs of southeast and middle Britain, especially London, where rural population, driven by industralisation, increasingly settled to escape from poverty. Nearly all of them were from the lower classes of society and are assumed to have spoken a common sociolect based on Cockney, the dialect of English spoken in London.
One fourth of the convicts transported to Australia were from Ireland, taken prisoners after the Irish rebellion. The Irish were able to understand and speak English at least as a second language, though their pronunciation was different. However, both groups were able to communicate with each other, and due to close contact in British prisons or later during their 8-months-transfer to Australia, some leveling of their dialects must have taken place. This process was fostered as the convicts had to live closely together and communicate in their penal colonies, and a commonly understood dialect developed which went on to be the basis for today’s Broad and General Australian English.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the global importance of English and the intent to analyze the development of Australian and New Zealand variants.
2. Australian English: Details the historical arrival of prisoners and settlers, followed by a linguistic breakdown of vowel shifts, consonants, and specific lexical features.
3. New Zealand English: Explores the colonial history of the islands, the interaction with Maori culture, and the development of a distinct linguistic profile similar to but separate from Australia.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings, asserting that both are variants of English rather than independent languages, while noting the impact of globalization.
5. References: Provides the academic bibliography used for the linguistic and historical research.
Keywords
Australian English, New Zealand English, Linguistic Analysis, Phonology, Dialects, Colonization, Aborigines, Maori, Sociolect, High Rising Tone, Lexis, Language Contact, Antipodean English, National Identity, Global English
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this research paper?
The paper examines the historical and linguistic development of English as spoken in Australia and New Zealand to categorize these varieties within the broader English language family.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The core themes include the impact of early colonial history, the influence of indigenous languages, social stratification within the varieties, and phonetic or grammatical shifts over time.
What is the primary research goal?
The author aims to determine whether Australian English and New Zealand English qualify as distinct languages, creoles, or simply regional dialects of English.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a combination of historical evidence regarding population demographics and linguistic analysis, focusing on phonetics, syntax, and lexicon.
What topics are analyzed in the main body?
The main body covers the origins of the first settlers (convicts and free migrants), the influence of the Aborigines and the Maori, and modern linguistic differences like vowel realization, speech melody, and idiomatic expressions.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Essential keywords include Antipodean English, linguistic variety, phonology, Maori influence, colonial history, and the evolution of social dialects.
What role did the "First Fleet" play in Australian linguistics?
The arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 established the basis for Australian English by importing a common sociolect based on London Cockney, which was subsequently leveled through close contact between convicts.
How does New Zealand English differ from Australian English regarding Maori influence?
Unlike the Aborigines in Australia, the Maori had their language integrated into the school system early on, which facilitated a more direct influence of native vocabulary on New Zealand English.
- Citation du texte
- Andreas Hennings (Auteur), 2003, Australian and New Zealand impact on the English language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/21782
