SUBJECTS: English
YEARS: 5–6
Where does the word 'dude' come from?
Why do speakers of English often pronounce words differently depending on their country of origin — not only because of their accent?
Find out with Professor Kate Burridge when she takes on these questions from viewers.
Things to think about
- 1.Words that have their origins in America are called Americanisms. The word 'dude' is one example. Do you know any other words that might be Americanisms? Have you noticed any words that Australians and Americans pronounce differently?
- 2.In what country did the word 'dude' originate? When does Kate suggest that it was first used? What did it mean then? What other 'dude words were used at this time? What did they mean? How does Kate explain differences in the Australian and American pronunciation of words such as 'missile'? What example of an interesting exception does she give at the end?
- 3.Kate uses the words 'fops', 'dandies' and 'swells' to explain the original meaning of the word 'dude'. Find out what they mean. What is Kate's theory about where the word 'dude' might come from? What does Kate mean when she says that American English is sometimes conservative?
- 4.Select a word that you've heard pronounced differently by Australians and Americans. Use an online or print version of a dictionary (or both) to find out where the word came from. How was the word was originally used? Why it is pronounced differently?
Date of broadcast: 14 Mar 2008
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