Though what New Zealanders speak is tagged English, it sounds foreign to native speakers of English and they struggle to understand the New Zealand accent. This is why it is recommended for tourists heading to the country to get a phrasebook to study or even download a language-learning app.
Who are the New Zealanders?
The Māori are said to be the first people to inhabit the land known today as New Zealand. These original inhabitants migrated from the Eastern Pacific over 1,000 years ago and their means of transportation was the canoe. In 1840, representatives of Māori chiefs and the British government endorsed the “Treaty of Waitangi” marking the onset of European settlement in different parts of New Zealand.
The word Kiwi is predominantly used in New Zealand and it is an affectionate term referring to people born in the country. The term is even evident in the country’s gambling landscape as the internet space is suffused with sites touting top Kiwi casino with exciting pokies offering mouthwatering bonuses and free spin. Some of these platforms are equipped with user-friendly payment options like Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Paysafe Card, and more.
By the early part of the 1900s, cartoonists and artists were already using pictures of the kiwi bird to symbolize New Zealand. Again, while World War One was raging on, soldiers from New Zealand were called ‘Kiwis’ and with time the moniker became permanent.
The Origin of the New Zealand English
A new variation of New Zealand English reportedly developed after 1940 and the era is not too far into the past for experts to study its origin. Studies revealed 1940s recordings of old New Zealand natives with many born as far back as the 1850s. According to the recordings, the 1850s and 1860s-born New Zealanders shared some similarities in speech with their immigrant parents, sounding Irish and Scottish. However, the accent started to change with the 1880s-born with people born and bred in South Island towns having similarities with people born and raised in North Island towns, their parent’s origin notwithstanding. Then, within two or three decades, a unique New Zealand accent quickly developed and spread in the country.
People initially believed the New Zealand ascent to be a transported variation of London Cockney. A while later, it was said that New Zealand English developed from Australian English as both sport a lot of similarities, especially as they constantly interchanged and borrowed each other’s vocabularies (it was majorly New Zealand borrowing from Australia).
Another source claimed that it was the New Zealanders who developed their accent within themselves as they formed new dialects. With the introduction of free compulsory education in 1877, kids from diverse backgrounds and social strata came together through academic institutions and peer groups and their interactions possibly contributed to the emergence of New Zealand English.
Settlement patterns played a role in determining the form of English spoken in New Zealand with the major influence coming from dominant groups. In 1881 roughly 45% of the overseas-born New Zealanders came from England with a majority from the Southern part and the South East – these are areas in London and around it. Because of this, New Zealand English has been considered to be a southeastern version of British English, though there were contributions from other dialects in the British Isles.
New Zealand English as a Variation of English
In recent times, New Zealand English earned recognition as a separate variety of English, however, a considerable variation is evident across the country. A regional dialect found in the Southland is said to have been influenced by the first Scottish settlers. There, they still phonate /r/ in words such as bird, third, work, person, and more. Southlanders tend to use past participles – for instance, "the cat wants stroked", "the baby needs fed."
Māori English Is Another Major Variation
Māori English's most conspicuous feature can be felt in its syllable-timed rhythm – it makes use of syllables of comparatively equal length, different from English which is often stress-timed, with its syllables differing significantly in length. In recent times, it has become common to hear people speak Pacific Island New Zealand English in Auckland, and it also sports syllable timing.
Unique Words and Phrases in New Zealand
- Jandals – Flip Flops: Coined during the latter part of the 1940s by blending “Japanese” and “sandal”.
- Togs – swimwear or bathing suit: A term derived from “toga” (Latin).
- Lollies – candy or sweets: Derived from “lollipop”.
- Biscuits – cookies: In New Zealand, “biscuits” refers to cookies, whereas US biscuits resemble scones.
- Chips – potato chips/crisps: In New Zealand, “chips” means hot fries or potato crisps.
- Tomato sauce – ketchup: Used similarly to countries like Britain, Australia, and South Africa.
- Chilly bin – cool box or cooler: A portable insulated cooler.
- Chocka – overflowing or full: Means overflowing.
- Tramping – trekking or hiking: A term for recreational hiking or walking.
- She's a hard case: means she's funny.
- It’s a cracker of a day: means the weather is lovely or beautiful.
- I'm keen: means I want to or I'm interested.
- He is packing a sad: means he is upset.
Wrapping Up
Although New Zealand is recognized as an English-speaking nation, the natives speak English with an accent that is close to what is obtainable in nearby Australia. There are several common words and phrases that are easily recognizable in countries like Britain but mean totally different things in New Zealand.
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