australianism
|aus-tra-li-an-ism|
🇺🇸
/əˈstreɪliənɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ɒˈstreɪliənɪz(ə)m/
Australian characteristic or usage
Etymology
'australianism' originates from English, specifically formed from 'Australian' + the suffix '-ism', where 'Australian' referred to 'of or relating to Australia' and '-ism' meant 'practice, characteristic, or doctrine'.
'australianism' derives from 'Australian', which itself comes from the name 'Australia' (from New Latin 'Australia'), and the suffix '-ism' (from Greek/Latin usage of forming nouns). 'Australia' was formed from Latin 'australis' meaning 'southern'; the compound entered modern English usage in the 18th–19th centuries and the noun 'australianism' developed to denote traits or usages associated with Australia.
Initially the root 'australis' meant 'southern'; over time the related forms came to denote the land 'Australia' and things relating to it, and 'australianism' evolved to mean specifically a characteristic or usage of Australia or Australians.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a characteristic, trait, habit, or behaviour regarded as typical of Australians.
Laconic humour is often cited as an australianism.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a word, phrase, pronunciation, or usage that is characteristic of Australian English (a regionalism or colloquialism specific to Australia).
The term 'arvo' is a well-known australianism meaning 'afternoon'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/22 05:06