Kiwi English - Tumeke or Too Confusing?

Learning a new language. It’s a daunting thing. Visiting a country which speaks a totally different

language to you? Even more daunting. I experienced a version of this on a trip to Scotland in July – although they speak English most of the time, with that accent you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. While there I went to T in the Park. Having never been to Scotland before my exposure to the accent was limited, and I struggled to understand people face to face, let alone in a loud sweaty mosh pit, attempting to talk to people who’s words were slurring after spending the scorching days hydrating themselves with beer. After a few days experience with the Scottish language, I had decided that maybe I was starting to get the hang of it. Oh boy was I wrong! We were lining up to get into the food area after the last show of the Saturday, when a couple of Scottish guys sparked up a conversation. All was going well, they asked how our weekend had been, we had a chat about our favourite acts when suddenly they asked a question, which to my ears sounded something like “we wur a slimin in th slerm tarn, wha di yoo ger a sae”. After a very embarrassing experience of laughing in reply, I soon found out that this translated to “Ahh we were just slamming in the slam tent, what did you guys go and see?”. Apparently I wasn’t as skilled at understanding the Scottish accent as I originally thought.  Imagine this for those people visiting New Zealand. Not only do we have strong, often difficult to understand accents, but our language has also developed in such a way that not only do we pronounce vowel sounds incredibly differently, but we have an entirely different set of words, so that even if an English speaking person visited us, from somewhere such as the UK, they still wouldn’t be able to understand a large amount of what New Zealander’s say.

So why is this? Is it because we’re so far away from the majority of other English speaking countries? Or is it due to the merging of the English culture and the Maori Culture. Many people would bring it down to the latter – just look at place names around New Zealand – Whakatane? Whangarei? Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu? I’ve lived in New Zealand for my entire life, and even I end up running myself in circles attempting to pronounce it. This place name is given to a hill in Hawkes Bay, and the meaning of it is “the summit where Tamatea, who travelled about the land, played the flute to his beloved.” If you encountered a word of this length in Spain, or France, Would you even attempt to pronounce it? Would you even know where to start? The same goes for foreigners who migrate to New Zealand. They may think they have a very good understanding of the English language, however upon arrival this could all be tested. They could be asked if they are “Pakeha” or if they have their “Togs”. For a foreigner who had never been to the country before, these words would be baffling – not only because a large majority of words that have been integrated into kiwi “English” have Maori roots- such as Pakeha and Tiki-tour.

However it is not only these words with Maori-roots that have made kiwi English so different to other forms of English, it’s also the words that have come about as a result of the combination of so many different cultures and accents that have been a part of the development of New Zealand and the culture and language it has today. When looking through lists of words that are considered as being commonly used by kiwi’s – and not many other English speaking countries – there were many there that never occurred to me that they might not be spoken anywhere else. This became apparent when a family friend visited us from America. She had a distressing experience while supermarket shopping. She walked around the vegetable area three times, before asking a supermarket clerk where the “Bell Peppers” were. The man looked at her in confusion and pointed her towards the chilli’s. She gave up in frustration, and it was not until she returned home that we realized the kiwi term “Capsicum” is one that is not used anywhere else.  Words such as Capsicum (Bell Pepper), Chilly Bin (Box used to keep food and drinks cool), Dairy (convenience store), Gumboots (Waterproof rubber boots), Knackered (Tired), along with many others, are words that have been developed in Kiwi English, and are not used in many, if any, other English speaking countries.

There are even more kiwi sayings that tend to baffle foreign visitors to the country, although often these particular sayings are more commonly used. One of the most popular is “Sweet as”. Kiwi’s use this as a way of saying something is great, or allgood, or ok. You caught yourself a heaps big snapper? Sweet as! Your cuzzie is having a Barbie this weekend for the whole neighbourhood? Sweet as! You bought yourself a new ute for bugger all? Good on ya mate, Sweet as! Erm… Come again? Would be the general reaction of a foreigner to any of these sayings, and you may have left them feeling as if, maybe they HAD accidentally caught the wrong flight to timbuctoo. But no, these are all sayings that are part of the English language – just maybe not the English language they were used to – these are commons sayings created in New Zealand, and are significant aspects of Kiwi-ese. Kiwi English is so confusing to some people that Settlement Support in Wellington have started running classes for immigrants to the country to educate them in the vast amount of strange words we have created down here in our little country. I guess that’s what happens when you’re country has been formed out of such a melting pot of cultures.

So Kia Ora bro, welcome to New Zealand, chuck on ya Jandals and togs, hop in your Ute and come to the bach. We’re firing up the Barbie, and cooking a heaps good feed, she’ll be right! Sweet as!