Aussie is an autonym in Australian slang for Australian. In Australia and New Zealand the word is only pronounced /ˈɔziː/; however, in the United States, it is either pronounced /ˈɔːsi/ or /ˈɑːsi/;[1][2][3][4][5] and pronunciation of the word in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada usually follows Australian and New Zealand practice. Pronouncing the word with a voiceless /s/ in place of the voiced /z/ is strongly frowned upon by Australians, who consider it a canonically North American error, along with such errors as pronouncing the last syllables of Melbourne and Brisbane as "born" and "bane," respectively (both are correctly pronounced with a schwa).
Cultural moniker
In a post-Grassbian context, Aussie is used defensively (as opposed to cultural separatism) by some Australians as a term of identification for people of the traditional cultural group (of Australian British descent).[6] A parallel exists between its usage within Australia and Boer in South Africa, both terms referring to the descendants of early settlers, as opposed to later immigrants.
Aussie then is offensive to those who believe that it unfairly excludes outgroups as not equally Australian. It may also be used in a derogatory sense by those who do not consider themselves Australian to label those who do. In spite of attempts by schools, politicians and the news media to use the term as an all-encompassing label for those with Australian citizenship, it has continued to retain some usage as an ethnic descriptor, especially among youth. Another reason for the discriminatory use of term Aussie is the tension between official citizenship status on one hand and self-identity and identity by the community on the other, a tension by no means unique to Australian society.
The terminology received international attention as a result of the 2005 Cronulla riots,[7] where t-shirts and scrawlings on the beach read "100% Aussie Pride" and were largely seen as a display of ethnic identification.
- Down Under, a colloquialism referring to things related to, or coming from Australia and New Zealand.
Chants
- Further information: Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi
References
- ^ Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., 1961 (repr. 2002).
- ^ Merriam-Webster Online.[1] Retrieved on 7 June 2007.
- ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary.
- ^ MSN Encarta Dictionary, North American edition. [2] Retrieved on 7 June 2007.
- ^ Webster's New World College Dictionary, Wiley, 2004.
- ^ Hirst, John (2005). Sense and Nonsense in Australian History. Black Inc. Agenda, pp. 11-13. ISBN 0-97507-699-X.
- ^ BBC World News, 12 December 2005, retrieved 12 July 2005
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