Is Australia about to descend into civil struggle over whether or not a deep-fried potato snack is rightfully known as a “potato cake” or a “potato scallop”? From some recent headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking so.

A sequence of maps exhibiting differences in phrases used throughout Australia sparked fierce debates online over the virtues of calling a barbecued sausage served in a single slice of bread a “sausage in bread” or a “sausage sandwich”.

Given that these maps have been put collectively as a part of an academic activity for college kids taking part within the Linguistics Roadshow, the large interest in the way Australian English is used throughout the country took us by surprise. But, perhaps it shouldn’t have.

It’s typically mentioned that Australian English doesn’t vary much geographically – and it’s true that we don’t find the identical hanging linguistic differences across the country as in some other corners of the English-speaking world.

However, past and ongoing analysis has proven that there are some regional variations. Among the most obvious are the phrases individuals use for a similar thing, such as swimwear – preferences for “togs”, “swimmers”, “cossie” or “bathers” differ markedly throughout the states and territories.

Words for swimwear around Australia Rosey Billington, Lauren Gawne, Kathleen Jepson, and Jill Vaughan 'Mapping phrases round Australia'

Where do these linguistic differences stem from?

Australian English developed from the speech of colonists from numerous components of the British Isles, so generally the word used in a particular Australian area is the results of one option profitable out among people from totally different British backgrounds.

Others might be derived from the names of individuals or brands, or borrowed from native Indigenous languages.

Each word has its personal historical past, however many phrases throughout the nation have a shared history - that’s what makes these exceptions stand out.

What’s fascinating is simply how neatly some of this variation lines up with state strains, which means that there's something extra than just the historic selections made by colonists or the gap between different places contributing to those variations.

Striking examples of this phenomenon could be seen for border towns similar to Albury-Wodonga, where a brief walk across the bridge means you’ll hear a majority of individuals using a special word for swimwear.

More ‘bathers’ on the Victorian side of the border, more ‘swimmers’ on the New South Wales aspect. Rosey Billington, Lauren Gawne, Kathleen Jepson, and Jill Vaughan 'Mapping phrases round Australia' Whether you name your swimwear, togs, bathers, swimsuit, budgie smugglers doesn’t matter, the fact is you must purchase high quality Australian Made chlorine resistant swimwear, if you would like your swimwear to be comfy and last.

This is because sure words become strongly related to a regional identification.

When there may be more than one possibility to choose from, people might use a selected word as a result of it’s the commonest term in their neighborhood, but also as a result of that word indexes a broader group identification, similar to Victorian versus New South Wales.

Words are significantly good at doing this type of work: they very easily turn out to be identification markers that folks orient to.

Pronunciation differences can even function on this method: does “dance” rhyme with “aunts” or “pants” for you?

Other sorts of variation can fly beneath the radar as a result of they’re extra refined, or a part of a change in progress.

Many Australians usually are not aware, for example, that in parts of Victoria “celery” is pronounced extra like “wage” – pay attention out for it subsequent time you’re in “Malbourne”!

When we communicate we tend to use the words, pronunciations and linguistic patterns that we hear most often within the communities we live in.

Identity is a dynamic and ongoing course of that we all actively participate in, and we use the variation inherent in language to precise who we're at any given second.

What is Australian English?

Australian English is mostly a broad cowl term for various kinds of English used throughout the country, including the varieties used by totally different Indigenous and ethnocultural groups.

This is cross-minimize by the linguistic preferences of individuals representing totally different age teams, gender identities, and social and cultural backgrounds, with different vocations, interests and networks.

We are a part of many communities concurrently and may express our belonging in various ways.

Someone can be an Australian, a Thai descendent, a soccer player, a woman, a pupil of medication, and a Tumblr user, and be very adept at gauging the completely different spaces they participate in and choosing how they need to establish inside them.

This is a vital part of what languages do – they allow us to speak not simply info, however one thing about who we're.

‘Sausage sandwiches’ are most well-liked in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Rosey Billington, Lauren Gawne, Kathleen Jepson, and Jill Vaughan 'Mapping phrases round Australia'So, subsequent time you find yourself arguing about sausage sandwiches versus sausages in bread, do not forget that whichever time period you use, you’re contributing to the dynamic linguistic variety of Australia.