Parliamentary Hansard records and epicentral influence in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: This paper investigates the possibility of epicentral influence from two endonormative varieties of English – Australian English (AusE) and New Zealand English (NZE) – on a norm‐developing variety, Papua New Guinean English (PNGE). Through a keyword analysis of recent parliamentary Hansard data, we are able to identify some structural language features that distinguish the Pacific varieties from British English (BrE) – the use of got, going (to) and choice of pronoun case. While each of these features showed the Pacific varieties to have shared usage patterns that distinguished them from BrE, a diachronic analysis of them for AusE and NZE did not produce clear patterns from which a source of epicentral influence could be identified. Further study, with more detailed diachronic data, could well prove useful in explaining current trends and identifying whether AusE or NZE act as epicentres within the Pacific region.
Source: World Englishes
DOI: 10.1111/weng.12590
Authors: Adam Smith, Minna Korhonen
Institution: Macquarie University
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,150
OpenAlex ID: W4281672508