The Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) has opened its pages to contributions from the general public for the first time.
Editor of the ANDC, which is based at the Australian National University in Canberra, Mark Gwynn said it was no secret Australians loved nicknames, created for close friends, senior politicians, and even favourite places.
“The ANDC is launching its first ever annual appeal for contributions for the Australian National Dictionary, a dictionary of Australian words and their origins,” Mr Gwynn said.
“This year’s theme is Nicknames for Places and we are collecting the unique names we have for the places we live in, drive through and visit.”
Mr Gwynn said the nicknames could give people a sense of ownership of their hometown.
“The informality can also make visitors feel welcome,” he said.
Some describe attributes of a place, like the Top End for the Northern Territory or Apple Isle for Tasmania.
Others were simple abbreviations — Freo (for Fremantle – pictured) or the Gong for Wollongong, while others could be considered more derogatory, such as Brisvegas for Brisbane.
Director of the ANDC, Amanda Laugesen said contributions from the public were an important way of alerting the dictionary to new words.
“That’s why we plan to have an annual appeal, based on a particular topic or theme, that we hope will encourage contributions from the public and prompt discussion about our language and words,” Dr Laugesen said.
People wanting to contribute nicknames can visit the ANDC Facebook page at this PS News link or Twitter @ozworders.
