'The Editorial Committee of the dictionary of Australian English, led by Arthur Delbridge, were adamant that their dictionary was to be descriptive. It was an important point of difference from traditional dictionary policy. This dictionary would give an account of Australian English as it was heard and written. We wanted it all: spoken, written, technical, polite, rude. The speech of labourers, the jargon of merchants, swearwords, Australianisms, as well as the basic core of English vocabulary.' The idea for a dictionary of Australian English was conceived in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1981 that the first edition of the Macquarie Dictionary was published. More Than Words tells the story of how the dictionary was brought to life during this period -- from identifying the need for a genuinely Australian dictionary to the long road towards publication -- and explores how the dictionary has evolved over the years since then.

Slang permeates Australian society–it can be found in pubs and RSLs, at footy matches and on TV soapies, in the hallowed halls of parliament, in schoolyards (often behind the dunnies), and up the backyard round the barbie no less. From the racy and rude, to the lighthearted and charming, from the hip and happening language of city-dwellers to the dry wit of the true laconic bushy–it's all here in the new Macquarie Australian Slang Dictionary.An entirely new dictionary covering slang from its earliest convict utterances right up to the very latest word. Editor James Lambert is one of Australia's foremost experts having made the study of Australian slang his lifetime occupation.Some features of this edition:- completely up-to-date - definitions written in accessible colloquial English–simple and easy to understand- historical treatment of important items of Aussie slang: fair dinkum, swaggies, Anzacs, humping the bluey, bonzer, Pommy, bludger, etc.- extensive coverage of rhyming slang- special attention given to slang phrases - lists of slang synonyms- regional slang gathered from contributors from all over the country, including hundreds of dinky-di terms never before recorded.

The English language arrived in Australia with the first motley bunch of European settlers on 26 January 1788. Today there is clearly a distinctive Australian regional dialect with its own place among the global family of ‘Englishes’. How did this come about? Where did the distinctive pattern, accent, and verbal inventions that make up Aussie English come from? A lively narrative, this book tells the story of the birth, rise and triumphant progress of the colourful dingo lingo that we know today as Aussie English.

Designed to introduce students to parts of speech, ways to understand and choose words, punctuation and figure of speech.

The Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage is an up-to-date, evidence-based account of the variable points in Australian usage and style, in alphabetical format. Its description of Australian English uses a wealth of primary sources (linguistic corpora; the internet; public surveys of usage, conducted through Australian Style) as well as the latest editions of English dictionaries, style manuals and grammars. With all this input the Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage provides in-depth coverage of the currency of alternative usages in spelling, punctuation and word choice in Australia, while showing the influence of British and American English here as well. This book is designed for everyone who writes and edits documents and non-fiction texts, for print or electronic delivery. Tertiary students and staff will get plenty of help from it, as well as professional editors who work with manuscripts of many different authors and commissions from multiple publishers.

This dictionary is an essential tool in the Australian primary classroom. It regular use will encourage young readers to use, explore and enjoy the richness of English.

Macquarie Aboriginal Words is a dictionary of words from a selection of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. This ebook covers the languages of Bundjalung, The Sydney Language and Wiradjuri from New South Wales. For each language, the following information is provided: · a brief history of the language · points on the grammar, spelling and pronunciation · an extensive wordlist organised by categories, such as animals, body parts, kin relationships, placenames, etc. · a dual index, i.e. English to Language and Language to English This ebook series is based on Macquarie Aboriginal Words originally published in print in 1994. The sheer diversity of indigenous languages in Australia must be close to the greatest and richest component of this country's national cultural heritage ... This book is much needed, as it gives a sense of the richness of a heritage which is disappearing in many areas of the country. NOEL PEARSON