Comparative Studies in Australian and New Zealand English

Abstract

This anthology brings together fresh corpus-based research by international scholars. It contrasts southern and northern hemisphere usage on variable elements of morphology and syntax. The nineteen invited papers include topics such as irregular verb parts, pronouns, modal and quasimodal verbs, the perfect tense, the progressive aspect, and mandative subjunctives. Lexicogrammatical elements are discussed: light verbs (e.g. have a look) , informal quantifiers (e.g. heaps of) , no -collocations, concord with government and other group nouns, alternative verb complementation (as with help, prevent) , zero complementizers and connective adverbs (e.g. however) . Selected information-structuring devices are analyzed, e.g. there is/are , like as a discourse marker, final but as a turn-taking device, and swearwords. Australian and New Zealand use of hypocoristics and changes in gendered expressions are also analyzed. The two varieties pattern together in some cases, in others they diverge: Australian English is usually more committed to colloquial variants in speech and writing. The book demonstrates linguistic endonormativity in these two southern hemisphere Englishes.

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