The Australian National Dictionary explains that the Australian usages of mate derive from the British word 'mate' meaning 'a habitual companion, an associate, fellow, comrade; a fellow-worker or partner', and that in British English it is now only in working-class use.
Mate (noun) So, 'mate' is British slang for a friend. But, like a lot of British slang, mate is a word that is used as much sarcastically as it is sincerely. You're just as likely to call someone 'mate' when they're your friend as when they're annoying you.
“Mate” is a popular word for friend. And while it's used in other English-speaking countries around the world, it has a special connection to Australia. In the past, mate has been used to address men, but it can be gender-neutral. In Australia, you'll also hear mate used in an ironic sense.
Mate. (Noun) Friend; used in a variety of different contexts. Addressing an actual friend: “G'day, mate.” Expression of congratulations: “Maaate!”
But in his new book Mateship: A Very Australian History, Dr Dyrenfurth traces the term back to the very first white Australians - the convicts. "The convicts brought with them from Britain the term mate, and they used it amongst themselves," he said.
The Australian National Dictionary explains that the Australian usages of mate derive from the British word 'mate' meaning 'a habitual companion, an associate, fellow, comrade; a fellow-worker or partner', and that in British English it is now only in working-class use.
"Old mate" or "old matey" is a substitute for using the man's name. Interchangeable for "bloke", "guy" or "fella": I saw old mate about signing up for the footy team. Contributor's comments: Old mates are also commonly found in North Queensland. Contributor's comments: 'Old mate' is not gender restrictive.
Almost everyone in Australia uses the word, and so does almost everyone in the UK! The number of times a typical person says “mate" is about the same in each country. There are more people in Britain than in Australia. It takes longer to say it in Australia, cos it's “maaaaaate".
Bunji: Aboriginal English for mate. Eg. “How're you doing bunji?” Corroboree: An assembly of sacred, festive or warlike character.
Ozzie. Meaning: (Noun) An alternative way to spell and pronounce Aussie, also short for Australian.
Early European settlers to Australia — many of whom were convicts — were from all over Great Britain and Ireland, and their speech patterns blended to form the new Australian accent.
Aussie Word of the Week
No worries, perhaps the most easygoing piece of Aussie Slang, has been part of our lexicon since the 1960s. Initially a way of saying, 'I'm good,' no worries has evolved into an expression of thanks, as in 'Don't mention it!'
Mate is especially common in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil as well as in Syria and parts of Lebanon, where it was introduced from Argentina.
Mate/pal work just fine for ladies as long as they actually are your friend: best of mates, we're just mates, pals together and so on, but, mate/pal doesn't work as well as it does with men when the woman you are apologising to is unknown to you.
There is no one Aboriginal word that all Aborigines use for Australia; however, today they call Australia, ""Australia"" because that is what it is called today. There are more than 250 aboriginal tribes in Australia. Most of them didn't have a word for ""Australia""; they just named places around them.
Gubbah, also spelt gubba, is a term used by some Aboriginal people to refer to white people or non-Aboriginal people. The Macquarie Dictionary has it as "n. Colloq. (derog.) an Aboriginal term for a white man".
The phrase is often said as 'she'll be right mate', a term kiwis tend to say when they are talking to others, whether they are a mate or not. The mate just signifies a friendly conversation with someone, even if they haven't met them before. The phrase basically means everything will be ok.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the Oggy Oggy Oggy chant used by both soccer and rugby union fans in Great Britain from the 1960s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete.
Australians more commonly refer to their girlfriends by the kind of generic slang you might hear elsewhere in the English speaking world, such as babe or sweetie. However, some specifically Australian examples of slang include the old classic “Sheila”, “missus” or just “love”.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
There are a few specific Australian slang terms for boyfriend. One common one is to call them a wombat, or sometimes a possum. You may also hear “my fella”. Other than that, though, they mostly share their slang terms with other English slang, including terms like babe.
Traditional IPA: ˈsɒriː 2 syllables: "SORR" + "ee"
3. bloke – man or guy. A stereotype of a typical Australian man: loves beer, sport and barbies. It's similar to “chap”or “fella”.