Saturday, August 30, 2014

Moving right along - language

We're going to be moving soon - as an American would say it. As an Australian would say it, we'll be moving house. Oddly, these are expressions that neither the Americans nor the Australians have quite right. Of course we're moving - as if there would come a day when we lie entirely motionless? And neither my wife nor I are strong enough to move a house. Its contents, perhaps - so in that regard the Australians are a bit closer to being correct. In the U.S., we'd potentially call a mover, or if we're going upscale, perhaps a relocation specialist. Australians would call a removalist. A removalist? An American might think that an odd expression for a hit man. A removalist might potentially just remove; if you want to get rid of your belongings. But a removalist might also place. That is, they might place your items in your new residence. There are no placists.

More specifically, we would be relocating our residence. Well, not the actual residence - we'll be changing the address at which we live. So in Australian, we might be moving residence, or moving address, but I don't think Australians say that; at least that I've heard (don't quote me on that one).

Let's say we'll be changing neighborhoods. I've heard Australians sneer at that spelling of neighbourhood, but let me tell you something. The Americans are going to win on the word neighborhood. Why? Because eventually a generation of Australians, perhaps texting without spell-check, will get tired of that extra "u". Then again, maybe the Americans won't win - horses neigh, but parliamentarians nay. And some day neigh could get the nay.

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