Aboriginal English - what think you, WALYPALA ,good LINGO, eh?May 13 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line This Aboriginal creation is brilliant since it is not difficult and crosses the divide to ordinary English. Aboriginal English is the name given to the various types of English spoken by Aboriginal people throughout Australia. Technically, the language varieties are dialects of English. They have much in common with other varieties of Australian English, but there are distinctive features of accent, grammar, words and meanings, as well as language use. In many subtle ways Aboriginal English is a powerful vehicle for the expression of Aboriginal identity. Before the British invasion of Australia at the end of the eighteenth century, there were approximately 250 different indigenous languages spoken throughout the country, with approximately 600 dialects. The languages were very complex, and the differences between neighbouring languages were, for example, often as complicated as the differences between English and Spanish. This had caused problems before "White Eyes", and regrettably only got worse on White Eyes arrival. Learning any of the Aboriginal languages was not exactly high on the priority list of the British - in fact basically they couldn't have cared less. After all, they were only savages in their white eyes - must be mustn't they, because the Aboriginal is Black skinned, proof positive they are little more the animals. White Eyes lack of intellect in this regard is astounding, no worse, frightening. And there are some still around today! Consequently, since the first contact with the invaders, it was left up to Aboriginal people to use some English in their dealings with them. At first this was a simplified kind of language, used only between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in situations of limited contact. This kind of English is referred to by linguists as 'pidgin English'. Give this a little thought and the worthless savage was able to quickly grasp the basics of the English language, no mean feat. But still those narrow eyed, low foreheaded, thick wristed whities didn't wake up. But in some areas it seems that Aboriginal English developed not from pidgin English, but from the Aboriginalization of English as speakers learnt the language. That is, Aboriginal people in areas where there was no pidgin language made English into an Aboriginal English by bringing into it accents, words, grammar and ways of speaking from their Aboriginal languages and those of their parents. It is both linguistically inaccurate and derogatory to use the term "pidgin English" to refer to the kinds of English spoken by Aboriginal people today. Aboriginal English is probably the first language of the majority of Aboriginal people in Australia, who make up approximately 2% of the total population of the country. While many people speak it as their "mother tongue", in more remote areas it is spoken as a second or third or fourth language, by speakers of "traditional" Aboriginal languages. Aboriginal English is important to Aboriginal identity, both in terms of self-identity and the identification of other Aboriginal people, particularly in parts of Australia where the traditional languages and cultural practices no longer survive, or are no longer strong. Although it is primarily an oral language, Aboriginal English is now being used in some published literature. Like many other non-standard language varieties, Aboriginal English has a history of being dismissed as "bad English". It is only since the 1960s that linguists and educators have recognized it as a valid, rule-governed language variety. Today many, if not most, non-Aboriginal Australians are still ignorant about Aboriginal English. However, it does have recognition at a number of levels of government. Departments of education around the country are well aware of the fact that they will not succeed in providing successful literacy education for speakers of Aboriginal English unless they recognize and accept Aboriginal English as the home language of many students. Several states have literacy programs for Aboriginal English speakers which build on the students' home language. And why not - is it any different to any other language? hardly. And there have been some important developments in the recognition and understanding of Aboriginal English in the legal system, following a number of key criminal cases involving Aboriginal English speaking witnesses. There are a number of Aboriginal English dialects ranging from close to Standard English at one end ( the "light" varieties), to the "heavy" varieties. Heavy Aboriginal English is spoken mainly in the more remote areas while light varieties of Aboriginal English are spoken mainly in urban, rural and metropolitan areas. But even in these areas, some Aboriginal people in certain Aboriginal situations use a heavier Aboriginal English. There is often regional variation. So, for example, the word for policeman is: monatj in Western Australia booliman in Queensland gunji or gunjibal in New South Wales And the word for white man is: balanda in Arnhem Land (Northern Territory) gubba or gub in south eastern Australia migaloo in Queensland wajala in Western Australia walypala in parts of northern Australia There are also some English words used with different meanings in Aboriginal English. In many varieties of Aboriginal English, the word mother means 'the woman who gave birth to a person, and that woman's sisters'. This shows the continuity of Aboriginal kinship where a mother's sister often is treated as a mother, and a single word in many Aboriginal languages would translate into standard English as both 'mother' and 'mother's sister'. Some other examples are: Aboriginal English standard Australian English camp home mob group big mob a lot of lingo Aboriginal language sorry business ceremony associated with death grow [a child] up raise [a child] growl scold gammon pretending, kidding, joking cheeky mischievous, aggressive, dangerous solid fantastic to tongue for to long for Only two of these words/phrases are not used in s called Australian English, with the same meaning. They are "to tongue for" and "sorry business", although even the latter is well known. The words for Policeman and White man are not generally known. An interesting Aboriginal English word is deadly which would translate as 'really good or impressive' in standard English. It appears that this is a word which is spreading from Aboriginal English into general Australian usage, especially among young people (compare the way that the African American English word "bad" to describe something very good has spread into many other varieties of English). Our children, er, when they were children, used this word often. One feature of Aboriginal English is quite remarkable; Aboriginal English standard English Enry's at Henry's hat This feature is shared with many other varieties of English around the world, such as Cockney English. The traditional Aboriginal languages have no 'h' sound. And so it goes on. Pronunciation is all important of course, and what better way than sit down with an accomplished speaker and practice, practice practice. Thankfully I will be doing just that next week. A last few examples; Aboriginal English standard English E my cousin brother. He's my cousin. They just normal, but they steel. They're just normal, but they're steel. My uncle back there. My uncle's back there. E big. He's big. Three pies there, eh? Are there three pies? When the river go down, this little island there. When the river goes down, there's a little island No ordinary English speaking person would need long to pick up a useable knowledge of Aboriginal English. This Aboriginal creation is brilliant since it is not difficult and crosses the divide to ordinary English. Had the first settlers sat down with these people and given just a week or two before they started shooting what a different future there would have been. In just that small amount of time they would have realised they were not dealing with dim - witted people and would even have had the means to effectively communicate. Not, I hasten to add, is dimwittedness a reason to be shot. what think you, good lingo, eh?  |
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