Roots
Let’s talk about ‘Englishes’
Deepti

English is today the language of the world. It has accomplished this feat by being flexible and yielding, by allowing its speakers to adopt and adapt its features. This is the reason that talking about the varieties of English means talking about ‘Englishes’ and not ‘English’. Go to any corner of the globe and you are sure to find an English with features distinct from the other Englishes.

Today, the focus is Australian English. Distinctive features in vocabulary can be traced to two origins. The local variety of any English becomes different by borrowing words from indigenous languages and Australian English has also borrowed many words from the local Aboriginal languages.

The three most common words borrowed from three different aboriginal languages are kangaroo, koala and boomerang. Australian English has many such borrowed words that maybe less commonly used out of Australia but are an accepted part of English there. Some examples of such words are humpy (temporary dwelling), koori (aboriginal person) and corroboree (a dance ceremony).

The second route by which words begin to belong to a specific variety is the route of meaning creation. This creation takes place when words that already exist in English are used in different ways. When used in different ways to perform local functions, these words reflect the uniqueness of the local culture. The word ‘bush’ is a perfect example of this process. For Australians, ‘bush’ is not just a word; it is a complete way of life. The bush refers to the whole of Australia, leaving out the urban centres. The Macquarie Dictionary, published in Australia lists as many as 97 entries for the different ways in which ‘bush’ is used there. ‘To go bush’ in Australian English means ‘to go into the countryside, losing contact with urban life’. Many words have been formed around this one word; ‘bush craft’ is the ability to live in the bush and ‘bush tucker’ is simple, country food. And, on this note, as the Aussie would say, ‘G’day, mate.’