Anglo-American Cultural Studies
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Origins of NZ English
Origins of NZ English There are three basic theories about the origins of New Zealand English, each with minor variants. Although they are usually presented as alternative theories, they are not necessarily incompatible. The theories are: • New Zealand English is a version of 19th century Cockney (lower-class London) speech; • New Zealand English is a version of Australian English; • New Zealand English developed independently from all other varieties from the mixture of accents and dialects that the Anglophone settlers in New Zealand brought with them. New Zealand as Cockney The idea that New Zealand English is Cockney English derives from the perceptions of English people. People not themselves from London hear some of the same pronunciations in New Zealand that they hear from lower-class Londoners. In particular, some of the vowel sounds are similar. So the vowel sound in a word like pat in both lower-class London English and in New Zealand English makes that word sound like pet to other English people. There is a joke in England that sex is what Londoners get their coal in. That is, the London pronunciation of sacks sounds like sex to other English people. The same joke would work with New Zealanders (and also with South Africans and with Australians, until very recently). Similarly, English people from outside London perceive both the London and the New Zealand versions of the word tie to be like their toy. But while there are undoubted similarities between lower-class London English and New Zealand (and South African and Australian) varieties of English, they are by no means identical. -
LANGUAGE VARIETY in ENGLAND 1 ♦ Language Variety in England
LANGUAGE VARIETY IN ENGLAND 1 ♦ Language Variety in England One thing that is important to very many English people is where they are from. For many of us, whatever happens to us in later life, and however much we move house or travel, the place where we grew up and spent our childhood and adolescence retains a special significance. Of course, this is not true of all of us. More often than in previous generations, families may move around the country, and there are increasing numbers of people who have had a nomadic childhood and are not really ‘from’ anywhere. But for a majority of English people, pride and interest in the area where they grew up is still a reality. The country is full of football supporters whose main concern is for the club of their childhood, even though they may now live hundreds of miles away. Local newspapers criss-cross the country in their thousands on their way to ‘exiles’ who have left their local areas. And at Christmas time the roads and railways are full of people returning to their native heath for the holiday period. Where we are from is thus an important part of our personal identity, and for many of us an important component of this local identity is the way we speak – our accent and dialect. Nearly all of us have regional features in the way we speak English, and are happy that this should be so, although of course there are upper-class people who have regionless accents, as well as people who for some reason wish to conceal their regional origins. -
Department of English and American Studies English Language And
Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Jana Krejčířová Australian English Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph. D. 2016 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph.D. for her patience and valuable advice. I would also like to thank my partner Martin Burian and my family for their support and understanding. Table of Contents Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 1. AUSTRALIA AND ITS HISTORY ................................................................. 10 1.1. Australia before the arrival of the British .................................................... 11 1.1.1. Aboriginal people .............................................................................. 11 1.1.2. First explorers .................................................................................... 14 1.2. Arrival of the British .................................................................................... 14 1.2.1. Convicts ............................................................................................. 15 1.3. Australia in the -
New Zealand English
New Zealand English Štajner, Renata Undergraduate thesis / Završni rad 2011 Degree Grantor / Ustanova koja je dodijelila akademski / stručni stupanj: Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences / Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Filozofski fakultet Permanent link / Trajna poveznica: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:142:005306 Rights / Prava: In copyright Download date / Datum preuzimanja: 2021-09-26 Repository / Repozitorij: FFOS-repository - Repository of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera u Osijeku Filozofski fakultet Preddiplomski studij Engleskog jezika i književnosti i Njemačkog jezika i književnosti Renata Štajner New Zealand English Završni rad Prof. dr. sc. Mario Brdar Osijek, 2011 0 Summary ....................................................................................................................................2 Introduction................................................................................................................................4 1. History and Origin of New Zealand English…………………………………………..5 2. New Zealand English vs. British and American English ………………………….….6 3. New Zealand English vs. Australian English………………………………………….8 4. Distinctive Pronunciation………………………………………………………………9 5. Morphology and Grammar……………………………………………………………11 6. Maori influence……………………………………………………………………….12 6.1.The Maori language……………………………………………………………...12 6.2.Maori Influence on the New Zealand English………………………….………..13 6.3.The -
British Or American English?
Beteckning Department of Humanities and Social Sciences British or American English? - Attitudes, Awareness and Usage among Pupils in a Secondary School Ann-Kristin Alftberg June 2009 C-essay 15 credits English Linguistics English C Examiner: Gabriella Åhmansson, PhD Supervisor: Tore Nilsson, PhD Abstract The aim of this study is to find out which variety of English pupils in secondary school use, British or American English, if they are aware of their usage, and if there are differences between girls and boys. British English is normally the variety taught in school, but influences of American English due to exposure of different media are strong and have consequently a great impact on Swedish pupils. This study took place in a secondary school, and 33 pupils in grade 9 participated in the investigation. They filled in a questionnaire which investigated vocabulary, attitudes and awareness, and read a list of words out loud. The study showed that the pupils tend to use American English more than British English, in both vocabulary and pronunciation, and that all of the pupils mixed American and British features. A majority of the pupils had a higher preference for American English, particularly the boys, who also seemed to be more aware of which variety they use, and in general more aware of the differences between British and American English. Keywords: British English, American English, vocabulary, pronunciation, attitudes 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... -
English in South Africa: Effective Communication and the Policy Debate
ENGLISH IN SOUTH AFRICA: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND THE POLICY DEBATE INAUGURAL LECTURE DELIVERED AT RHODES UNIVERSITY on 19 May 1993 by L.S. WRIGHT BA (Hons) (Rhodes), MA (Warwick), DPhil (Oxon) Director Institute for the Study of English in Africa GRAHAMSTOWN RHODES UNIVERSITY 1993 ENGLISH IN SOUTH AFRICA: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND THE POLICY DEBATE INAUGURAL LECTURE DELIVERED AT RHODES UNIVERSITY on 19 May 1993 by L.S. WRIGHT BA (Hons) (Rhodes), MA (Warwick), DPhil (Oxon) Director Institute for the Study of English in Africa GRAHAMSTOWN RHODES UNIVERSITY 1993 First published in 1993 by Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa ©PROF LS WRIGHT -1993 Laurence Wright English in South Africa: Effective Communication and the Policy Debate ISBN: 0-620-03155-7 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Mr Vice Chancellor, my former teachers, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen: It is a special privilege to be asked to give an inaugural lecture before the University in which my undergraduate days were spent and which holds, as a result, a special place in my affections. At his own "Inaugural Address at Edinburgh" in 1866, Thomas Carlyle observed that "the true University of our days is a Collection of Books".1 This definition - beloved of university library committees worldwide - retains a certain validity even in these days of microfiche and e-mail, but it has never been remotely adequate. John Henry Newman supplied the counterpoise: . no book can convey the special spirit and delicate peculiarities of its subject with that rapidity and certainty which attend on the sympathy of mind with mind, through the eyes, the look, the accent and the manner. -
Vowel Variation Between American English and British English
International Journal of English Linguistics; Vol. 9, No. 1; 2019 ISSN 1923-869X E-ISSN 1923-8703 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Vowel Variation Between American English and British English Afzal Khan1 & Soleman Awad Mthkal Alzobidy2 1 Department of English, Alasala University, King Fahad Airport Road, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2 Department of English Language and Translation, College of Sciences and Theoretical Studies, Saudi Electronic University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Correspondence: Afzal Khan, Department of English, Alasala University, King Fahad Airport Road, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: [email protected] Received: April 17, 2018 Accepted: November 13, 2018 Online Published: December 29, 2018 doi:10.5539/ijel.v9n1p350 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n1p350 Abstract The English Language, being an international language, is spoken all over the world with many variations. These variations occur primarily due to environmental, cultural and social differences. The main reasons for these variations are intermingling of different races and strata in a society. In this regard prominent differences can be observed at phonological levels. These phonological variations produce different kinds of English, like British and American English. In these two there are differences in intonation, stress pattern, and pronunciation. Although South-Eastern British R.P. is known as Standard English but one cannot deny the existence and value of American English. The study attempts to highlight the vowel variation between British English and American English at phonological level. Keywords: vowel, variations, American English, British English, phonological 1. Introduction Phonological variation results due to variations in dialects. A dialect is a system of speech sufficiently different from other dialects to be seen as different, yet sufficiently the same as other dialects to be seen as a similar. -
The Pronunciation of English in South Africa by L.W
The Pronunciation of English in South Africa by L.W. Lanham, Professor Emeritus, Rhodes University, 1996 Introduction There is no one, typical South African English accent as there is one overall Australian English accent. The variety of accents within the society is in part a consequence of the varied regional origins of groups of native English speakers who came to Africa at different times, and in part a consequence of the variety of mother tongues of the different ethnic groups who today use English so extensively that they must be included in the English-using community. The first truly African, native English accent in South Africa evolved in the speech of the children of the 1820 Settlers who came to the Eastern Cape with parents who spoke many English dialects. The pronunciation features which survive are mainly those from south-east England with distinct Cockney associations. The variables (distinctive features of pronunciation) listed under A below may be attributed to this origin. Under B are listed variables of probable Dutch origin reflecting close association and intermarriage with Dutch inhabitants of the Cape. There was much contact with Xhosa people in that area, but the effect of this was almost entirely confined to the vocabulary. (The English which evolved in the Eastern and Central Cape we refer to as Cape English.) The next large settlement from Britain took place in Natal between 1848 and 1862 giving rise to pronunciation variables pointing more to the Midlands and north of England (List C). The Natal settlers had a strong desire to remain English in every aspect of identity, social life, and behaviour. -
Differences Between British and American English Introduction
Differences between British and American English Introduction British and American English can be differentiated in three ways: o Differences in language use conventions: meaning and spelling of words, grammar and punctuation differences. o Vocabulary: There are a number of important differences, particularly in business terminology. o Differences in the ways of using English dictated by the different cultural values of the two countries. Our clients choose between British or American English, and we then apply the conventions of the version consistently. Differences in language use conventions Here are some of the key differences in language use conventions. 1. Dates. In British English, the standard way of writing dates is to put the day of the month as a figure, then the month (either as a figure or spelled out) and then the year. For example, 19 September 1973 or 19.09.73. The standard way of writing dates in American English is to put the month first (either as a figure or spelled out), then the day of the month, and then the year. For example, September 19th 1973 or 9/19/73. Commas are also frequently inserted after the day of the month in the USA. For example, September 19, 1973. 2. o and ou. In British English, the standard way of writing words that might include either the letter o or the letters ou is to use the ou form. For example, colour, humour, honour, behaviour. The standard way of writing such words in American English is to use only o. For example, color, humor, honor, behavior. 3. -
The Vocabulary of Australian English
THE VOCABULARY OF AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH Bruce Moore Australian National Dictionary Centre Australian National University The vocabulary of Australian English comes from many sources. This document outlines some of the most important sources of Australian words, and some of the important historical events that have shaped the creation of Australian words. At times, reference is made to the Australian Oxford Dictionary (OUP 1999) edited by Bruce Moore. 1. BORROWINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES ...2 2. ENGLISH FORMATIONS .....................................................................7 3. THE CONVICT ERA ...........................................................................11 4. BRITISH DIALECT .............................................................................15 5. BRITISH SLANG ................................................................................17 6. GOLD .................................................................................................18 7. WARS.................................................................................................21 © Australian National Dictionary Centre Page 1 of 24 1. BORROWINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES In 1770 Captain James Cook was forced to beach the Endeavour for repairs near present-day Cooktown, after the ship had been damaged on reefs. He and Joseph Banks collected a number of Aboriginal words from the local Guugu Yimidhirr people. One of these words was kangaroo, the Guugu Yimidhirr name for the large black or grey kangaroo Macropus -
British and American Pronunciation Snezhina Dimitrova
British and American Pronunciation Snezhina Dimitrova In 1877, the British philologist Henry Sweet said that within a century “England, America, and Australia will be speaking mutually unintelligible languages owing to their independent changes of pronunciation.” Fortunately, this grim prediction did not come true. Still, more than 300 million people in the world today speak English as their mother tongue, and many differences between varieties of English do exist. But the differences in terms of vocabulary, grammar, or spelling are remarkably small compared with differences of accent. Accent is the term which linguists use when they refer to the pronunciation features typical of people who belong to the same geographical region or social class; speakers’ accents may also reflect their age, sex, level of education, etc. It is difficult to say exactly how many accents of English there are. Even within the United Kingdom, there are accents as varied as Scottish English, Irish English, Welsh English, Cockney, a newly-emerged accent called Estuary English, and many others. But as far as the teaching of English pronunciation to foreign learners is concerned, the choice of a model accent has traditionally been limited to what can be considered the two “standard” accents in Great Britain and the USA. In the United States, this is an accent called General American, or GA. In fact, the label “General American” covers a range of accents which don’t exhibit any Eastern or Southern local colouring. General American is the pronunciation used by the majority of the population of the United States and by most US radio and TV announcers. -
Review Article
World Englishes, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 177–186, 2006. 0883–2919 REVIEW ARTICLE THE COMPARABILITY OF NEW-DIALECT FORMATION AND CREOLE DEVELOPMENT New-Dialect Formation: The Inevitability of Colonial Englishes. Peter Trudgill. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2004, viii þ 180 pp. Reviewed by SALIKOKO S. MUFWENE* This is an informative book about the development of colonial English varieties that the author also identifies as ‘‘Southern Hemisphere Englishes’’ (SHEs), spoken in New Zealand, his primary focus, in Australia, which is also very much discussed, in South Africa, and in the Falkland Islands. According to T, they all developed much later than Caribbean and North American Englishes, the other colonial varieties, which receive only occasional comparisons in this volume. T’s main argument is that they all derive most of their structural features, especially phonological (the focus of the book), directly from British English varieties. (Australian English influence on New Zealand English (NZE) is admittedly marginal, although it cannot be completely dismissed.) The process of the formation of SHEs amounts to what is identified in Mufwene (2001) as ‘‘competition and selection,’’ leading to ‘‘restructuring’’ (a phenomenon similar to gene recombination in biology). T acknowledges this process more explicitly toward the end of the book. The phrase ‘‘new-dialect formation’’ in the title, whose apparent interpretation as an outcome of several structural changes becomes clearer only as the book unfolds, should not be interpreted as a kind of change in itself. As the rest of this review shows, it is the end-result of several form- and structure-changing processes that lead to language specia- tion.