Stereotypes Of Australian Identity

Language has a major role indexing identity for both individuals and societies as a whole by expressing the users’ beliefs and influencing external perception of the users. Thus, the Australian identity is bound by the Australian usage of language, particularly the informal language the country is known for. It is evident that all countries utilise features of informal language in both written and spoken forms of communication. However, informal language is predominantly recognised as a characteristic of Australian language and culture. Stereotypes of Australian identity often depict an easy-going, ‘can do’ attitude. Most Australians embrace egalitarianism, and the wide use of informal language with fellow Australians reflects this. The prominence

This is a result of informal and non-standard morphology and phonology in communication. Australian English is notorious for its extensive usage of diminutives and elisions, which contribute to the perception of an easy-going and perhaps even lazy demeanour. Diminutives, such as ‘Aussie’, ‘brekkie’, ‘mossie’ and ‘arvo’, are colloquial hypocorisms derived from formal lexemes through shortening and the addition of an affix, resulting in informal language that perpetuates the stereotypical Australian attitude. The phrase ‘G’day mate’ rose to international fame because of the movie Crocodile Dundee (1986). The phrase elided /ud/ from /gud/, so that ‘good day’ became ‘g’day’. Lexemes such as ‘Straya’ and ‘Strine’ are other examples of elision. Alastair Morrison, under the pseudonym ‘Afferbeck Lauder’, wrote Let’s Talk Strine (1965), a book mocking the prominence of elisions, which are considered to be especially Australian. Lexeme modification and phoneme omission lend the impression of a less constraining language with fewer expectations, and this impression is imposed on the Australian identity. Diminutives, hypocorisms and elisions create a distinctively informal language, far removed from the formal variation/s of English. The usage of such informal language perpetuates the way the world views the Australian identity; a laid-back attitude and a willingness to take a