Greco-Australian dialect

Greco-Australian (Ελληνοαυστραλιανή διάλεκτος) is an Australian-based dialect of Greek that is spoken by the Greek diaspora of Australia, including Greek immigrants living in Australia and Australians of Greek descent.

Characteristics
The Greco-Australian dialect is a phenomenon whereby certain words in the Greek language are replaced by Hellenised versions of English words. Although the exact number of speakers is unknown, researcher Anastasios Tamis suggests that the dialect is mostly spoken by second- and third-generation Greeks, however many first-generation Greeks and Greek immigrants to Australia have also adopted the dialect.

Although the words brought into the dialect have English roots, these words were Hellenised in order to agree with modern Greek grammar rules. For example, the Greek word for "The book" is "Το βιβλίο" (To vivlío). In the Greco-Australian dialect, it is commonly referred to as "Το μπούκο" (To boúko). The additional omicron was added at the end to make it a neuter noun, allowing it to agree with Greek grammatical rules. Most adopted English words are neuter nouns in Greek.

Greek surname conventions are that women use the genitive form of their family's last name until marriage, and then use their husband's last name once married. As part of the Greco-Australian dialect however, most Greeks living in Australia and Australians of Greek descent do not change their surname to the genitive form as it disagrees with English surnames. For example, the name "Παρασκευούλα Παπαδοπούλου" (Paraskevoúla Papadópoulou) is referred to as "Παρασκευούλα Παπαδόπουλος" (Paraskevoúla Papadópoulos) in the Greco-Australian dialect, despite breaking grammatical conventions. Some surnames however, such as those of Greek-Australians Andrew Demetriou, Sebastian Elmaloglou and Damien Fotiou, continue to use the genitive form of their surname, despite being males. Writer Dean Kalimniou suggests that some Greek immigrants choose to use their mothers' last names, as is the case with Kalimniou's own family.

Origin
The Greco-Australian dialect is based on the Greek language, which is spoken by approximately 13.5 million people worldwide. The Greco-Australian dialect is thought to have originated upon the immigration of Greeks to Australia. Most Greek immigrants were unable to speak English proficiently, so adopted some English words into their language in order to better communicate with Australian residents. It is also thought that these adoptions were made to help clear communication between Greek immigrants and their children, who were predominantly Greek speakers.

The Greek language in Australia, functioning in a bilingual environment without diglossia under the influence of the dominant English language, is never homogenous and hardly ever self contained as it experiences serious functional limitations, restricted to a few language domains. During the last 170 years of Greek settlement in Australia, Greek migrants are undergoing language shift as a result of a number of socio-economic variables, including the new concepts that they meet in their new environment and naturally their language contact with the dominant language.

The development of the Greco-Australian dialect is attributed to the influence of the English language on Greek speakers in Australia. Most Greek Australians have not abandoned the Greek language, despite some being second or third-generation Australians. The Greco-Australian dialect has also eased the learning of the Greek language for the Greek diaspora. The mix of the Greek and English languages is sometimes credited to factors including the dominance of the English language in Australia, the Australian educational system, interracial marriages, Greek institutions in Australia and the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia. Ethnic segregation between Greek immigrants and Anglo-Celtic Australians may have also forced Greeks to adopt more English words in order to merge into Australian society.