NEW
ZEALAND ENGLISH
Overview
New Zealand English, sometimes humorously referred to as Kiwi English, differs sensibly from Australian English, probably on account of its geographic isolation, the presence of a higher number of Scottish-origin citizens and that of the native Maori, a more marked influence from Southern English dialects. The spelling is rigorously British (even more than the original), excluding -ize suffixs of U.S. origin (where many U.K. dictionaries allow it): do not capitalize, but capitalise when you have to do so. However, the pronunciation has undergone a vowel shift, which is more or less audible among New Zealanders according to their education, place of residence, and register used (formal or informal).
Phonetics: the NZ vowel shift
As and Es are raised, so that mat, bad sound as ‘bed’ (although the broad A of en. Path, dance is kept), while bet, pet sound like close to ‘bit’, 'pit'. However, to avoid confusion, words in -I have shifted to a closed schwa, so that ‘fish and chips’ sounds as if the I had been taken off altogether (f’sh and ch’ps).
This shift also affects some diphthongs: in many speakers it is difficult to differentiate fare, fair from ‘fear’, ‘bare’, ‘bear’ from ‘beer’ since the /e/ here has shifted to /i/, producing a long /i:/ sound. In words like fairy, though, the rising occurs in the second vowel, making it sound like ‘ferry’.
A schwa is sometimes added in some positions, as in words ending in -own: this has semantic advantage, though, because it allows speakers to differentiate between groan and grown: 'groan' vs 'grow-e-n'. –IL words followed by a consonant (as in ‘milk’ or ‘silk’) the L changes into /w/ adding a new sound to the already mutated I, which are pronounced muh-wk, suh-wk, etc. while words like bill are pronounced as ‘bull’.
Vocabulary Most words and phrases are shared with Australian English. However, there are a few which are uniquely New Zealand: jandals stands for 'thongs' or 'flip-flops', cell is preferred to 'mobile phone' and dairy is a public place where you can buy non-alcoholic beverages like milk, coffee or tea.
Togs means ‘swimwear’, and chilly bean is an insulated box to keep food fresh while you are travelling. Some common NZ words (left, NZ, right: British English):
Bach. (pr.'back'). Small two-floor holiday home on a beach
Chippies. Chips Choice!. Great!
clan lab. A place where illegal drugs are made
cooks. Chemists who make illegal drugs
crib. See bach
cyber-hui. Online conferences or chats
Dairy. Conner shop domain. Public park with sports and camping ground
freezing works. abattoirs
fulla. Fellow
he! (pr. 'aye'). Emphatic expression at the end of a sentence
Hui (Maori origin) meeting
iwi (Maori-NZ English) a tribe iwification, the process of being included into or becoming a tribe
kiwi. 1. n. a New Zealander 2. adj. from N.Z. 3. kiwispeak. Kiwi English
lollies. Candy
NZ (pr. 'en-zed'). Acronym for New Zealand. See 'nz'
OE or Big OE Overseas Experience (esp. Vising London)
P. amphethamines tinnie house. A place where cannabis is sold
tinny. Tinfoil wraps containing illegal drugs
treaty industry. The politics of stipulating treaties with Maori people.
wine box. Tax evasion
wops. Suburban areas
Next: South African English
Overview
New Zealand English, sometimes humorously referred to as Kiwi English, differs sensibly from Australian English, probably on account of its geographic isolation, the presence of a higher number of Scottish-origin citizens and that of the native Maori, a more marked influence from Southern English dialects. The spelling is rigorously British (even more than the original), excluding -ize suffixs of U.S. origin (where many U.K. dictionaries allow it): do not capitalize, but capitalise when you have to do so. However, the pronunciation has undergone a vowel shift, which is more or less audible among New Zealanders according to their education, place of residence, and register used (formal or informal).
Phonetics: the NZ vowel shift
As and Es are raised, so that mat, bad sound as ‘bed’ (although the broad A of en. Path, dance is kept), while bet, pet sound like close to ‘bit’, 'pit'. However, to avoid confusion, words in -I have shifted to a closed schwa, so that ‘fish and chips’ sounds as if the I had been taken off altogether (f’sh and ch’ps).
This shift also affects some diphthongs: in many speakers it is difficult to differentiate fare, fair from ‘fear’, ‘bare’, ‘bear’ from ‘beer’ since the /e/ here has shifted to /i/, producing a long /i:/ sound. In words like fairy, though, the rising occurs in the second vowel, making it sound like ‘ferry’.
A schwa is sometimes added in some positions, as in words ending in -own: this has semantic advantage, though, because it allows speakers to differentiate between groan and grown: 'groan' vs 'grow-e-n'. –IL words followed by a consonant (as in ‘milk’ or ‘silk’) the L changes into /w/ adding a new sound to the already mutated I, which are pronounced muh-wk, suh-wk, etc. while words like bill are pronounced as ‘bull’.
Vocabulary Most words and phrases are shared with Australian English. However, there are a few which are uniquely New Zealand: jandals stands for 'thongs' or 'flip-flops', cell is preferred to 'mobile phone' and dairy is a public place where you can buy non-alcoholic beverages like milk, coffee or tea.
Togs means ‘swimwear’, and chilly bean is an insulated box to keep food fresh while you are travelling. Some common NZ words (left, NZ, right: British English):
Bach. (pr.'back'). Small two-floor holiday home on a beach
Chippies. Chips Choice!. Great!
clan lab. A place where illegal drugs are made
cooks. Chemists who make illegal drugs
crib. See bach
cyber-hui. Online conferences or chats
Dairy. Conner shop domain. Public park with sports and camping ground
freezing works. abattoirs
fulla. Fellow
he! (pr. 'aye'). Emphatic expression at the end of a sentence
Hui (Maori origin) meeting
iwi (Maori-NZ English) a tribe iwification, the process of being included into or becoming a tribe
kiwi. 1. n. a New Zealander 2. adj. from N.Z. 3. kiwispeak. Kiwi English
lollies. Candy
NZ (pr. 'en-zed'). Acronym for New Zealand. See 'nz'
OE or Big OE Overseas Experience (esp. Vising London)
P. amphethamines tinnie house. A place where cannabis is sold
tinny. Tinfoil wraps containing illegal drugs
treaty industry. The politics of stipulating treaties with Maori people.
wine box. Tax evasion
wops. Suburban areas
Next: South African English