South Australian Words: From Bardi-Grubs to Frog Cakes [Paperback]

Dorothy Jauncey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195517709 | ISBN-13: 978-0195517705 | Publication Date: April 8, 2004

This new reference is a collection of words that are associated in different ways with South Australia--those in the book's title represent both the oldest and the newest cultures in the state.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195517709
• ISBN-13: 978-0195517705
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,716,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasury of words from Aboriginal vocabulary to Cornish, August 5, 2005

By 

M. G. SFAELLOU "Platanos" (Greece) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: South Australian Words: From Bardi-Grubs to Frog Cakes (Paperback)

This work is yet another great accomplishment of the Australian National Dictionary Centre. It is a welcome addition to any serious library of Australian culture and complements the previous important works such as 'Tassie Terms' and 'Words from the West', etc. Indeed the author has also made an important contribution to the other companion volume 'Words of Queensland' and she needs no introduction. The title of this collection is taken from two random entries: the former referring to a variety of edible larvae and the latter a kind of food (perhaps coined by analogy with toad in the hole?). The dictionary presents historical Australian dialect from the South rather than a general collection of modern colloquial 'Aussie Strine' (for which other excellent Dinkum Ozzie slang dictionaries should be consulted).
This dictionary presents not one but seven seperate glossaries all of which constitute the distinct form(s) of Australian English which is spoken in South Australia. The first section includes some fascinating entries derived from the various Aboriginal languages which are spoken in this particular territory. Many of these pertain to unique animal species such as the 'kowari' and the 'tarkawarra', varieties of fruit like the 'karkalla' and even ususual weapons like the 'katta'. There is also the word 'kirra' which is the local name for the boomerang.
The second glossary contains vocabulary that pertains to the colonial era and convicts. For instance, it is in this glossary we learn that the nickname for South Australians 'Croweaters' derives from the belief that the early colonists were believed to eat crows. The third rich glossary is perhaps one of the most interesting sections of the book. This lists a wide range of Cornish Dialect words which were brought to Australia by the Cousin Jacks ( the world's greatest miners). Naturally, many of the entries in this section e.g. 'bal friend' (workmate - from 'bal' meaning mine) are related to the mining industry yet there are also a great deal of other interesting words that provide details about other aspects of Cornish culture and food etc. In some cases dialectologists will notice a distinct use of certain phrases as well as unique Cornish Australian words that are not met in the actual Cornish Dialect forms as spoken in Cornwall. There are even some words in this section which are derived not from the Cornish Dialect but from the old Cornish Language itself.
The next fascinating section constitutes a glossary of words used by the German Lutheran immigrants. One dialect (Barossa Deutsch) is more similar to standard German than the analogous Pennsylvanian 'Dutch' still spoken in America. Due to the integration of this interesting community with their neighbours, many of the words are understood even by non-German South Australians. Indeed, they have even coined terms like 'German' cake' and 'German wagon' by allusion to this community. The remaining three sections are entitled 'Wealth from the Land', 'The Outback' and 'The Lifestyle State' and the content of each is equally of interest. The seven sections in all provide approximately 500 fascinating and little-known entries, all of which are explained in detail. Etymologies usually accompany the terms and pertinent quotations are invariably cited to illustrate their use. This is an essential reference tool not only for lovers of Australian culture but also for anyone interested in dialectology and folklore.