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New Zealand English



 
 
New Zealand English (NZE, en-NZ) is the form of the English language
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
 used in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
.

The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. The most distinctive influences on New Zealand English have come from southern England, Scottish English
Scottish English

Scottish English refers to the Variety of English language spoken in Scotland. It may or may not include Scots language depending on the observer....
 and the indigenous Maori language
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
.

The New Zealand accent is most similar to the South African
South African English

South African English is a dialect of English language spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho....
 accent and the accent of Victoria, Australia
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
, although it has many characteristics also found in the accents of southeastern England, notably Estuary English
Estuary English

Estuary English is a name given to the dialect of English language widely spoken in South East England and the East of England; especially along the River Thames and Thames Estuary, which is where the two regions meet....
.

New Zealand English is close to Australian English
Australian English

Australian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia....
 in pronunciation, but has several subtle differences often overlooked by people from outside these countries.






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Encyclopedia


New Zealand English (NZE, en-NZ) is the form of the English language
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
 used in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
.

The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. The most distinctive influences on New Zealand English have come from southern England, Scottish English
Scottish English

Scottish English refers to the Variety of English language spoken in Scotland. It may or may not include Scots language depending on the observer....
 and the indigenous Maori language
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
.

The New Zealand accent is most similar to the South African
South African English

South African English is a dialect of English language spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho....
 accent and the accent of Victoria, Australia
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
, although it has many characteristics also found in the accents of southeastern England, notably Estuary English
Estuary English

Estuary English is a name given to the dialect of English language widely spoken in South East England and the East of England; especially along the River Thames and Thames Estuary, which is where the two regions meet....
.

New Zealand English is close to Australian English
Australian English

Australian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia....
 in pronunciation, but has several subtle differences often overlooked by people from outside these countries. Some of these differences show New Zealand English to have more affinity with the English of southern England
Estuary English

Estuary English is a name given to the dialect of English language widely spoken in South East England and the East of England; especially along the River Thames and Thames Estuary, which is where the two regions meet....
 than Australian English does. Several of the differences also show the influence of Maori speech
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
. The most distinctive traits of New Zealand pronunciation from Australian and other forms of English although shared partly with South African English
South African English

South African English is a dialect of English language spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho....
) are the vowels and . The vowel (as in dress) is pronounced , so that set sounds closer to sit to Northern Hemisphere ears. The vowel (as in kit) is pronounced which is marginally more central than the vowel used in Northern Hemisphere accents and much more central than the vowel used in Broad Australian.

Pronunciation

For a basic key to the IPA, see Help:IPA.
Short vowel
Vowel

In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis....
s
IPA Examples
? sit, about, winner
i city
e bed, end
? lad, cat, ran
? run, enough
? not, wasp
? put, wood
Long vowels
IPA Examples
?? father, arm
i? see
?? bird
o? law, caught
?? soon, through
Diphthong
Diphthong

In phonetics, a diphthong, or , is a contour vowel?that is, a unitary vowel that changes vowel quality during its pronunciation, or "glides", with a glissando of the tongue from one articulation to another, as in the English words eye, boy, and cow. This contrasts with "pure" vowels, or monophthongs, where the tongue is held s...
s
IPA Examples
æe day, pain
?e my, wise
oe boy
?? no, tow
æo now
?? near, here
e? hair, there
?? tour


  • New Zealand English is a non-rhotic
    Rhotic

    In linguistics, rhotic can refer to:* Rhotic consonant, such as the sound in red* R-colored vowel, such as the sound in Midwestern American English pronunciation of fur and before a consonant as in hard....
     accent (except a small regional minority in the south who speak with the "Southland burr")
  • New Zealanders with a non-rhotic accent use an intrusive R in expressions like pasta and sauce
  • New Zealand English has yod-coalescence: dune and June are typically pronounced the same
  • New Zealand English has L-vocalisation to the extent that some linguists have classified the ol in gold and the il in milk as distinct phonemes.
  • New Zealanders do not use double-negation (e.g. he never did)
  • New Zealanders, unlike Australians, use a broad A in the words plant, chance, dance.
  • New Zealanders do not drop their Hs but, unlike Australians, pronounce the name of the letter as aitch


Historical development

A distinct New Zealand variant of the English language has been in existence since at least 1912, when Frank Arthur Swinnerton
Frank Arthur Swinnerton

Frank Arthur Swinnerton was an English people novelist, critic, biographer and essayist.He was the author of more than 50 books, and as a publisher's editor helped other writers including Aldous Huxley and Lytton Strachey....
 described it as a "carefully modulated murmur," though it probably goes back further than that. From the beginning of British settlement on the islands, a new dialect began to form by adopting Maori words to describe the flora and fauna of New Zealand, for which English did not have any words of its own.

Spelling

Where there is a distinct difference between British and US spelling (such as colour/color and travelled/traveled), the British spelling is universally used in New Zealand. Some Americanisms have begun to creep in through their exposure in mass media (for example, the use of "math" rather than "maths" as an abbreviation for mathematics), though these spellings are non-standard. The British name for the last letter of the alphabet, zed, is used in New Zealand.

-ise suffix


In words that may be spelled with either an "-ise" or an "-ize" suffix (such as organise/organize) New Zealand English uses the "-ise" suffix exclusively. This contrasts with American English, where "-ize" is generally preferred, and British English, which sees either permissible, but "-ize" preferred by many - including the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press , is a comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Two fully-bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989; as of December 2008 the dictionary's current editors have completed a quarter of the third edition....
.

Fiord

New Zealand is perhaps unique among English-speaking countries in its spelling of the word fjord
Fjord

Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by Glacier....
, favouring the spelling fiord. This is particularly apparent in the name of Fiordland
Fiordland

Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland....
, a rugged region in the country's southwest.

Maori influence

Many local everyday words have been borrowed from the Maori language
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
, including words for local flora, fauna, and the natural environment. See Maori influence on New Zealand English
Maori influence on New Zealand English

Many loanwords from the Maori language, mainly bird, plant, fish and place names, entered New Zealand English in the 19th century, but the flow stopped abruptly around the beginning of the 20th century, according to New Zealand English specialist Elizabeth Gordon....
.

The dominant influence of Maori on New Zealand English is lexical. A 1999 estimate based on the Wellington corpora of written and spoken New Zealand English put the proportion of words of Maori origin at approximately 0.6%, mostly place and personal names.

Maori is also ever-present and has a significant conceptual influence in the legislature, government, and community agencies (e.g. health and education), where legislation requires that proceedings and documents are translated into Maori (under certain circumstances, and when requested). Political discussion and analysis of issues of sovereignty, environmental management, health, and social well being thus rely on Maori at least in part. Maori as a spoken language is particularly important wherever community consultation occurs.

Pronunciation of Maori place names

The pronunciation of many Maori place names was anglicised
Anglicisation

Anglicisation or anglicization is a process of conversion of verbal or written elements of any other language into a more comprehensible English language for an English speaker....
 for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but since the 1980s, increased consciousness of Maori has led to a shift back to correct Maori pronunciations. The anglicisations have persisted most among residents of the towns in question, so it has become something of a shibboleth
Shibboleth

Shibboleth is any distinguishing practice which is indicative of one's social or regional origin.It usually refers to features of language, and particularly to a word whose pronunciation identifies its speaker as being a member or not a member of a particular group....
, with correct Maori pronunciation marking someone as non-local.

Some anglicised names are colloquially shortened, for example, "coke" for Kohukohu, "the Rapa" (pronounced rapper) for the Wairarapa and "the Naki" (pronounced nackey, rhymes with lackey) for Taranaki.

New Zealand English vocabulary

There are also a number of dialectical words and phrases used in New Zealand English. These are mostly informal terms most common in casual speech.

New Zealand adopted decimal currency in the 1960s and the metric system in the 1970s. While the older measures are understood by those above the age of 45, younger New Zealanders have lived most or all of their lives in a metric environment and may not be familiar with pounds, ounces, stones, degrees fahrenheit, yards and miles. Only those over the age of 50 are at all likely to be familiar with pounds, shillings and pence.

Unique features


Short 'i'

The short 'i' in New Zealand English is pronounced as a schwa
Schwa

In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa can mean the following:*An stress and tone neutral vowel sound in any language, often but not necessarily a mid-central vowel....
 . This sounds similar to a short 'u' is in other forms of English, meaning that to other English speakers it sounds like "fush and chups" instead of "fish and chips
Fish and chips

Fish and chips is a popular take-away food which originated in the United Kingdom. It consists of deep-fried fish in Batter or breadcrumbs with French fried potatoes potatoes....
". However, it is really closer to an almost dropped vowel, so it is more like "f'sh and ch'ps".

The closest sound in New Zealand English to the Australian short 'i' is 'ee' , so New Zealanders may hear Australians talking about the "Seedney Harbour Breedge
Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel arch bridge across Port Jackson that carries rail, vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore ....
" or "feesh and cheeps
Fish and chips

Fish and chips is a popular take-away food which originated in the United Kingdom. It consists of deep-fried fish in Batter or breadcrumbs with French fried potatoes potatoes....
". Documentary films from the first half of the 20th century featuring both Australian and New Zealand voices show that the accents were more similar before the Second World War and diverged mostly after the 1950s.

Recent linguistic
Linguistics

Linguistics is the science study of natural language. Linguistics encompasses a number of sub-fields. An important topical division is between the study of language structure and the study of Meaning ....
 research has suggested that the short, flat 'i' heard in New Zealand comes from dialects of English spoken by lower-class English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 people in the late nineteenth century. It is, however, also encountered in Scottish English
Scottish English

Scottish English refers to the Variety of English language spoken in Scotland. It may or may not include Scots language depending on the observer....
, and given the relatively higher level of Scottish emigration to New Zealand than Australia, this may also be an influence. The pronunciation of English vowels by native Maori speakers may also have influenced the New Zealand accent. There is a Maori
Maori

The Maori are the indigenous people Polynesian people of Aotearoa . The group probably arrived in south-western Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300....
 accent distinct from the accent of native English speakers.

Short 'e'

The short 'e' in New Zealand English has moved to fill in the space left by 'i', and sounds like a short 'i' itself to other English speakers. For example, you may hear New Zealanders talk about having "iggs for brickfast" or hear an airline attendant asking to "kollikt your hid-sits" (collect your head-sets).

Short 'a'

New Zealanders pronounce the short 'a' as a short 'e', meaning that the sporting team the All Blacks
All Blacks

The New Zealand national rugby union team, often referred to by their nickname the All Blacks, is the representative side of New Zealand in rugby union....
 becomes the All Blecks.

Letter 'l'

The dark l at the end of a words like 'kill' is replaced by some speakers with the semivowel 'w'. For these speakers, 'bill' is pronounced the same way as 'bull', both having 'w' instead of 'l'. It also affects 'l' before consonsants — 'build' may be said 'buwd' and 'milk' as 'muwk'. This varies in different regions and between different socio-economic groups.

/l/ can also have an effect when preceeded by an 'e' in words such as 'well' or 'tell' or words ending in '-self' (myself, himself, herself) whereby the vowel is lowered towards the /æ/ position (a feature heard in Australian speakers from Victoria) such that 'self' will sound something like 'salf'.

Additional schwa

As in Australian English, some New Zealanders will insert the schwa
Schwa

In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa can mean the following:*An stress and tone neutral vowel sound in any language, often but not necessarily a mid-central vowel....
 to words such as grown, thrown and mown, resulting in grow-en, throw-en and mo-wen. However, groan, throne and moan are all unaffected, meaning these word pairs can be distinguished by ear, unlike in English language in England
English language in England

English language in England refers to the English language as spoken in England.There are many different accents and dialects throughout England and people are often very proud of their local accent or dialect, however there are many associated prejudices - illustrated by George Bernard Shaw's comment:...
.

This has also been heard (rarely) in the pronunciation of the word three, where the schwa appears between the 'th' and the 'r', creating a two-syllable word, and in words such as dwarf and Dwane/Duane where the schwa appears between the 'd' and the 'w' (or 'u'), leading to puns like "Duosyllabic Duane".

Distinction between and

In thicker New Zealand accents, words like "chair" and "cheer", () are pronounced the same way (that is the same way as "cheer" in British or Australian English). The same occurs with "share" and "shear" (both pronounced ); bear, bare and beer; spare and spear. This pronunciation is not universal as some New Zealanders do distinguish these words. Lack of distinction is somewhat stigmatised.

Younger speakers tend to merge toward , while middle-aged speakers tend to merge toward . This merging has been seen in some other varieties of English, but notably not in Australian English.

Lack of distinction between ferry and fairy

For some speakers of New Zealand English, the vowel in ferry is raised and becomes indistinguishable from fairy. The vowel length distinction, however, is usually retained.

Use of mixed vowels

The common New Zealand pronunciation of the trans- prefix rhymes with "ants" (/ænts/). This produces mixed pronunciation of the as in words like "transplant" (/trænzpl??nt/) whereas in northern (but not southern) British English the same vowel is used in both syllables (/trænzplænt/).

Rising intonation

New Zealanders will often reply to a question with a statement spoken with a rising intonation
High rising terminal

The High Rising Terminal , also known as uptalk, upspeak or High Rising Intonation , is a feature of some accents of English language where statements have a rising Intonation pattern in the final syllable or syllables of the utterance....
 at the end. This often has the effect of making their statement sound like another question. There is enough awareness of this that it is seen in exaggerated form in comedy parody of working class/uneducated New Zealanders. This rising intonation can also be heard at the end of statements, which are not in response to a question but to which the speaker wishes to add emphasis. High rising terminals are also heard in various other regional forms of English.

Use of she as third person neuter

In informal speech, some New Zealanders use the third person feminine she in place of the third person neuter it as the subject of a sentence, especially when the subject is the first word of the sentence. The most common use of this is in the phrase "She'll be right" meaning either "It will be okay" or "It is close enough to what is required". This is similar to Australian English.

Differences from Australian English

Although foreigners can find it hard to distinguish the New Zealand dialect from the Australian, there are differences in the pronunciation of vowel sounds, which are considerably more clipped in New Zealand English.

Chance, dance, prance, advance etc.

The New Zealand pronunciation of words like "dance" typically uses the same vowel sound as the "a" in "car", that is, , resembling the broad A of southern British English
British English

British English or UK English is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere....
. In Australia, a pronunciation similar to the North American is common in many areas. However, is not universal in Australia
Australian English phonology

Australian English is a Rhotic and non-rhotic accents variety of English language spoken by most native-born Australians. Phonologically, it is one of the most regionally homogeneous language varieties in the world....
, and pronunciation is found in Southland
Southland Region

Southland is the name of New Zealand's southernmost Regions of New Zealand and is also the name of a Territorial Authorities of New Zealand within that region....
 (Bartlett 1992).

Fool, pool, etc.

Less known than dance/chance, but more diagnostic, is the pronunciation of followed by , as in fool and pool. is usually centralised, but is moved back and lowered, so that the vowel sounds more like "good" . Thus "fool" and "pool" sound like "full" and "pull" respectively. In contrast, Australian English usually retains the central position, and often adds a diphthong .

Bird, nurse, etc.

Another diagnostic pronunciation difference in (e.g., bird and nurse). In New Zealand, it is fronted and slightly round , whereas in Australia it is further back.

Schwa in unstressed syllables

New Zealanders tend to be more likely to turn a vowel in an unstressed syllable into a schwa, although this is far from a universal trait. A clear example of this trait is shown in the pronunciation of Queensland, which in IPA terms would be to a New Zealander (rhyming with "seasoned"), but to an Australian (rhyming with "freehand"). However, both pronunciations occur within New Zealand and also Australia.

Letter 'h'

Pronunciation of the name of the letter 'h' is usually , as in Great Britain and North America, but can be the aspirated of Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English

Hiberno-English also known as Anglo-Irish and Irish English is English language as spoken in Ireland, partly the result of the interaction of the English and Irish languages....
 origin found in Australian English
Australian English

Australian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia....
.

Vocabulary differences

Other differences in the dialects relate to words used to refer to common items, often based on which major brands become eponyms:

NZ Australia Explanation
Cellphone / mobile / mobile phone (cell)/phone(mobile) Mobile phone
Mobile phone

A mobile phone is a long-range, electronic device used for mobile voice or data communication over a network of specialized base stations known as cell sites....

(mobile)
A portable telephone.
Chilly bin Esky
Esky

Esky is an Australian brand of coolers manufactured by Nylex. The name is a reference to the association of Eskimos with cold climates. The term has become a genericized trademark and as such is a colloquial term in Australia for any portable icebox or cooler....
Insulated container for keeping drinks and food cool.
Dairy
Dairy

A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk—mostly from goat or cattle, but also from bovine, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption....
 
Milk bar
Milk bar

Milk bar is a term in some parts of Australia for suburban local shops or general stores. They are known as delicatessens or delis in South Australia and Western Australia, and as corner stores in Queensland and New South Wales....

Delicatessen
Delicatessen

Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German language,with the old German spelling , plural of Delicatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....

convenience store
Convenience store

A convenience store is a small store or shop that sells candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a small selection of food and grocery supplies....

Deli
Deli

Deli may refer to:*Delhi, the second largest city of India* Delicatessen* Deli , Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry of Turkey* Deli , a previous sultanate at North Sumatra...
Equivalent to convenience store
Convenience store

A convenience store is a small store or shop that sells candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a small selection of food and grocery supplies....
, although the term usage is becoming rarer. In larger cities convenience store
Convenience store

A convenience store is a small store or shop that sells candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a small selection of food and grocery supplies....
 or superette
Superette

The Superette is a compact food market which often services persons in low density suburbs. The common form of the Superette is similar, if not identical, to the typical New Zealand dairy....
 are used due to immigration. Note that the term delicatessen is used in New Zealand for a somewhat different purpose, referring to a shop or a section of a supermarket serving specialist foods such as salamis, fine cheeses, and the like (just as it is in most states of Australia).
Domain
Domain

Domain has several meanings:...
, field
Oval, paddock An area normally used for recreational purposes, usually grass/earth.
Duvet
Duvet

A duvet is a type of bedding ? a soft flat bag traditionally filled with down feathers or feathers, or a combination of both and used on a bed as a blanket....
 
Doona A padded quilt.
Jandals Thongs Backless sandals (otherwise known as "flip-flop
Flip-flop

In footwear and fashion, flip-flops are a flat, backless, usually rubber sandal consisting of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap, like a thin thong, that passes between the first and second toes and around either side of the foot....
s" or "Japanese sandals").
Jersey Jumper Garment for warmth. In NZ and Australia jersey also used for top part of sports uniform (e.g. for rugby
Rugby football

Rugby football may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of England....
) - another term for a sports short, guernsey
Guernsey (clothing)

A guernsey or gansey is a seaman's knitted woolen sweater, similar to a Jersey , which originated from the Channel Islands of Guernsey....
, is frequently used in Australia but only rarely found in New Zealand
Judder bar / Speed bump
Speed bump

A speed bump is a velocity-reducing feature of road design to slow traffic or reduce through traffic. A speed bump is a bump in a roadway with heights typically ranging between 3 to 4 inches ....
 
bump
Speed

Speed is the rate of Motion , or equivalently the rate of change of distance.Speed is a Scalar quantity with dimensions length/time; the equivalent Vector quantity to speed is velocity....
Humps or the like in urban or suburban roads, designed to limit the speed of traffic. Speed bump a common term in both New Zealand and Australia
No exit No through road A road with a dead end; a cul-de-sac.
Oil skin / Swanndri
Swanndri

Swanndri is a trade name for a range of popular New Zealand outdoor clothing.The item was widely worn by farmers, but in recent years its popularity has spread and it has become something of a fashion item....
 
Driza-Bone
Driza-Bone

Driza-Bone, originating from the phrase "dry as a bone", is a trade name for the company making full-length waterproof riding coats and apparel....
 
Oil skin
Oil skin: Country raincoat; Swanndri: heavy woollen jersey (often checquered).
Togs
Swimsuit

A swimsuit, bathing suit or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn while participating in List of water sports and activities such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing....

Swimmers
Cozzies
Togs
budgie smuggler
Swimwear (see Australian words for swimwear)
Trolley Shopping trolley
Shopping Trolley

"Shopping Trolley" was a 2006 single by English songwriter Beth Orton. It was released as a 2 CD single set and 12 inch vinyl , and an early version of the title song can be purchased from iTunes....
A device, usually four-wheeled, for transporting shopping within supermarket precincts.
Trolley, Trundler Shopping jeep/granny trolley A two-wheeled device for transporting shopping from local shops (now rarely seen).
Tramp Bush walk Bush-walking or hiking.
Twink White-Out Correction fluid
Correction fluid

A correction fluid is an opaque, white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text. Once dried, it can be written over. It is typically packaged in small bottles, and the lid has an attached brush which dips into the bottle....
.
Vivid
Felts, Felt tips
Texta A permanent marker pen
Marker pen

A marker pen, marking pen, felt-tip pen, or marker, is a pen which has its own ink-source, and usually a tip made of a porous material, such as felt or nylon....
.
a Used mainly in Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 and northern New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
.


In the 1950s and 1960s, the phrase "milk bar" referred to a place that served non-alcoholic drinks, primarily milkshakes, tea and sometimes coffee. Ice creams were also served.

A traditional difference, between the New Zealand "varsity" and the Australian "uni" (for "university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
"), has largely disappeared with the adoption of "uni" into the New Zealand vocabulary.

Dialects within New Zealand English

Recognisable regional variations is slight, with the exception of Southland.

In this area a trilled 'r' (sometimes referred to as the "Southland burr") appears prominently, and this dialect is also rhotic
Rhotic and non-rhotic accents

English language pronunciation is divided into two main Accent groups: A rhotic speaker pronounces the letter R in hard or water. A non-rhotic speaker does not....
; that is, speakers pronounce the 'r' in "bird", "work" while other New Zealanders do not. This southern area formed a traditional repository of immigration from Scotland. Several words and phrases common in Scots
Scots language

Scots or Lowland Scots refers to the Germanic Variety derived from Middle English spoken in parts of Lowland Scotland, Northern Ireland and the border areas of the Republic of Ireland....
 or Scottish English
Scottish English

Scottish English refers to the Variety of English language spoken in Scotland. It may or may not include Scots language depending on the observer....
 still persist in this area as well. Some examples of this include the use of wee to mean "small", and phrases such as to do the messages meaning "to go shopping".

Some speakers from the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand

The West Coast is one of the List of regions in New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country....
 of the South Island retain a half Australian accent from the region's 19th century goldrush settlers.

Dictionaries of New Zealand English

The first comprehensive dictionary dedicated to New Zealand English was probably the Heinemann New Zealand dictionary, published in 1979. Edited by Harry Orsman, it is a comprehensive 1,300-page book, with information relating to the usage and pronunciation of terms that were both widely accepted throughout the English-speaking world and those peculiar to New Zealand. It includes a one-page list of the approximate date of entry into common parlance of many terms found in New Zealand English but not elsewhere, such as "haka" (1827), "Boohai" (1920), and "bach" (1905).

In 1997, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press is a publisher and a department of the University of Oxford in England. It is the largest university press in the world, being larger than all the American university presses combined with Cambridge University Press....
 produced the Dictionary of New Zealand English, which it claimed was based on over forty years of research. This research started with Orsman's 1951 thesis and continued with his editing this dictionary. To assist with and maintain this work, the New Zealand Dictionary Centre was founded in 1997. Since then it has published several more dictionaries of New Zealand English, culminating in the publication of The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary in 2004.

A more light-hearted look at English as spoken in New Zealand, A personal Kiwi-Yankee dictionary, was written by American-born University of Otago
University of Otago

The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Oldest Universities by Region .28post 1500.29 with over 20,000 students enrolled during 2006....
 psychology lecturer Louis Leland in 1980. This slim but entertaining volume lists many of the potentially confusing and/or misleading terms for Americans visiting or migrating to New Zealand. A second edition was published during the 1990s.

See also

  • Australian English
    Australian English

    Australian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia....
  • Culture of New Zealand
    Culture of New Zealand

    The culture of New Zealand is a synthesis of home-grown and imported cultures. The country's earliest inhabitants brought with them customs and language from Polynesia and developed their own Maori culture and Moriori cultures....
  • Maori influence on New Zealand English
    Maori influence on New Zealand English

    Many loanwords from the Maori language, mainly bird, plant, fish and place names, entered New Zealand English in the 19th century, but the flow stopped abruptly around the beginning of the 20th century, according to New Zealand English specialist Elizabeth Gordon....
  • New Zealand humour
    New Zealand humour

    New Zealand humour bears some similarities to the body of humour of many other English language countries. There are, however, several regional differences....
  • Regional accents of English


External links

  • at the University of Canterbury
    University of Canterbury

    The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates in the suburb of Ilam, New Zealand in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand....