Australian Aboriginal English facts for kids

Australian Aboriginal English (often called AAE or AbE) is a special way of speaking English. Many Indigenous Australian people use it, including Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people.

AAE is not just one single way of speaking. It has different forms that developed in various parts of Australia. Its grammar and how words are pronounced can be different from standard Australian English. Some words from AAE have even become part of everyday Australian English or slang.

What is Australian Aboriginal English?

Australian Aboriginal English has unique features in its accent, grammar, words, and how language is used. These features make it different from standard Australian English.

How it Sounds

One main difference is how words are pronounced. Even if the words mean the same thing, Aboriginal people might say them differently. Sometimes, letters are emphasized, left out, or changed. Also, people often use a lot of body language and hand gestures when speaking AAE.

Different Forms of AAE

There's a range of AAE forms, from those very similar to standard Australian English to those closer to Kriol. Kriol is a completely separate language spoken by over 30,000 people in Australia. AAE developed differently in various parts of Australia, among Aboriginal peoples from many different language groups. Some features of AAE are similar to creole languages spoken in nearby countries, like Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea.

Changing How You Speak

Speakers of AAE often change how they speak depending on who they are talking to. For example, they might try to speak more like standard Australian English when talking to someone who isn't Indigenous. This is called diglossia. It's common for Aboriginal people living in big cities.

Where AAE is Spoken

AAE is spoken among Aboriginal people generally. It's especially common in "discrete communities." These are places like former government or mission reserves. Many Aboriginal people live in cities and rural areas. They also use Aboriginal English because they often interact with people from different places.

Grammar in AAE

AAE has some interesting differences in its grammar compared to standard English.

Helper Verbs

In Aboriginal English, people often don't use "helper verbs" (called auxiliary verbs) like to be and to have. They also don't always use "linking verbs" (called copulas) to connect ideas. For example, instead of saying "We are working," someone might say "We workin'." Experts see this as a basic change in how English is put together, not just leaving out words.

Pronouns

In AAE, especially in northern Australia, the words he and him might be used for females or even for objects. This is different from standard English, where he and him are usually for males. Also, the difference between he (for the subject of a sentence) and him (for the object) is not always followed. So, you might hear him used as the subject of a verb.

Words in Australian Aboriginal English

Many words in AAE have special meanings or are used in unique ways. Some of these words have even become part of everyday Australian language.

Balanda

Balanda is a word used by the Yolŋu people to describe European people. It originally comes from the Malay word for a Dutch person.

Blackfella

Aboriginal people, especially those in the Outback and Top End, often call themselves and other Aboriginal people "blackfellas." The Australian Kriol word for an Aboriginal person, "blackbala," comes from this term.

Business

Many Aboriginal people use the word business in a special way. It means "matters" or "important things."

• Sorry business refers to funeral and mourning practices.
• Money business means financial matters.
• Women's business and men's business refer to secret rituals specific to each gender.

Camp

In Central Australia and the Top End of the Northern Territory, many Aboriginal people refer to their house as their "camp."

Cheeky

Cheeky (or tjiki) can mean "sly," "cunning," "malicious," or "mischievous." It can describe a person, a dog, a mosquito, or even a snake. For example, a dangerous snake might be called "cheeky."

Country

The word "country" has a very deep meaning for Aboriginal people. It includes a spiritual and philosophical connection to a specific place. This meaning is now understood by many non-Indigenous Australians too. You might hear it in "Welcome to Country" ceremonies or the term "connection to country." This shows a strong bond and responsibility to their traditional lands.

Country (short for "countryman") can also be used as a friendly greeting for someone from your own group or home area.

Dardy

Dardy comes from South-western Western Australia. It means "cool" or "really good."

Deadly

Many Aboriginal people use deadly to mean "excellent" or "very good." It's like how young English speakers might say "wicked," "sick," or "awesome." The Deadly Awards were a famous event that celebrated achievements by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Fella

In some forms of AAE, "fella" (also spelled feller or fullah) is used with adjectives or numbers. For example, "big fella business" means "important business." "One-feller girl" means "one girl." It can also mean "loudly," as in "sing out big fella" (call out loudly). It's also used with pronouns to make them plural, like "me fella" (we or us) or "you fella" (you all). Other common terms are blackfella (an Aboriginal man) and whitefella (a white man).

Gammon

The word gammon is used across Australian Aboriginal communities. It can mean something is fake, cheap, or broken. It can also mean someone is pretending or joking. Sometimes it just means "pathetic" or "lame." If someone is "gammon around," it means they are fooling around. It can also be an expression like "As if!"

Gubbah

Gubbah (or gubba) is a term some Aboriginal people use for white people or non-Aboriginal people. It's thought to come from the word "government." While it can sometimes be used in a negative way, it can also be used for friends, like "gubba mates."

Humbug

In standard English, humbug often means nonsense or something unimportant. But in Aboriginal English, humbug means to bother someone with silly or repeated requests. It can be a serious issue when people feel a strong obligation to share with relatives.

Mob

Mob is used to mean a group of Aboriginal people connected to an extended family, clan, or wider community from a specific place or "Country." It helps to identify a person and where they are from. "My mob" means my people or extended family.

Mob is also often used to refer to a language group, like "that Warlpiri mob." It can also mean a lot of people or things, especially with "big" or "biggest." For example, "There was a big mob at the football."

Rubbish

In many English dialects, rubbish means wrong, stupid, or useless. But in northern Australia, rubbish is used to describe someone who is too old or too young to be active in the local culture. It can also mean something is "not dangerous." For example, non-venomous snakes are "rubbish," while venomous snakes are "cheeky." In these cases, "rubbish" means something is harmless or inactive.

Yarn

In standard English, a yarn is a long story, often with unbelievable events. It comes from sailors telling stories while doing tasks like spinning yarn.

In Aboriginal English, yarning is a way of talking and storytelling. Indigenous people share stories based on real experiences and knowledge. This can happen in family gatherings or formal public presentations. A "yarning circle" is a way to share cultural knowledge and build good relationships within a group. Yarning circles are even used in prisons to help Indigenous inmates connect with their culture.

Unna

Unna means "ain't it?" or "isn't it?" It's often used with the word "deadly." This word is mostly used by the Nunga (including Ngarrindjeri), Noongar, and Yolngu people.

Whitefella

In Aboriginal communities, especially in the outback and the Top End, Aboriginal people often call white people "whitefellas." The Australian Kriol word "waitbala" (a white person) comes from this term.

Other Words

Here are some other words with special meanings in Aboriginal English, or that come from an Aboriginal language, or relate to Aboriginal culture:

See Also

• Australian Aboriginal Pidgin English
• List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin
• Neo-Nyungar
• Torres Strait Creole
• Aboriginal English in Canada
• American Indian English