Australia

Australian English

also: General Australian

The mainstream variety of Australian English, used by the majority of speakers nationally. The General Australian sociolect, sitting between Broad and Cultivated extremes.

Broad Australian

also: Strine

The most strongly-marked sociolect of Australian English, traditionally rural and outback in association. Famously caricatured as "Strine"; recognisable by its diphthongal vowels and broad nasalisation.

Cultivated Australian

The historically prestigious Australian English variety, modelled on British Received Pronunciation. Once dominant in broadcasting and law; now rare in everyday speech.

Aboriginal Australian English

also: AAE

A distinct Australian English variety used widely across Aboriginal communities. Shows substrate influence from many Aboriginal languages and forms a continuum with Kriol in northern Australia.

Pitjantjatjara

also: Western Desert language, Anangu

A Western Desert language of central Australia, spoken by the Anangu communities around Uluṟu and the APY Lands. One of the most-spoken Aboriginal Australian languages, with active bilingual education.

Warlpiri

A Pama-Nyungan language of the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory. Spoken across communities including Yuendumu and Lajamanu; the subject of substantial linguistic documentation.

Yolŋu Matha

also: Dhuwal-Dhuwala, Yolngu languages

A cluster of closely-related Pama-Nyungan languages spoken across Yolŋu communities of north-east Arnhem Land. Centred on Yirrkala and Galiwinʼku.

Kriol

also: Australian Kriol

An English-based creole spoken across northern Australia by Aboriginal communities, especially in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley. Native to many speakers and used in bilingual schools and broadcasting.

Torres Strait Creole

also: Yumplatok, Broken

An English-based creole spoken across the Torres Strait Islands and adjacent communities of far northern Queensland. Closely related to Tok Pisin and Bislama within the Melanesian Pidgin family.

Tiwi

A non-Pama-Nyungan language of the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin, the only living member of its family. One of the most morphologically complex languages on record, with a famously elaborate noun-classification system.