The Lexical‑Semantic Group ‘Aussie’ in Contemporary Australian Slang
The Lexical‑Semantic Group ‘Aussie’ in Contemporary Australian Slang

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to study the lexical-semantic group ‘Aussie’ in contemporary Australian slang (also strine). The objectives of the article are to determine the semantic structure of the lexeme Aussie and relations between its LSVs, to reconstruct the LSG ‘Aussie’ and its synonymous rows, to explore its representation in lexicographical and Internet sources, as well as to make lexical-semantic and stylistic analyses of the members of the synonymous rows of its LSVs. The conducted research has ascertained that the lexeme Aussie has four meanings in Australian slang: the main one – ‘Australia’ (the basic sema ‘country’), the derivative ones – ‘an Australian’ / ‘Australian people’ (the basic sema ‘inhabitant(s)’), ‘Australian English’ (the basic sema ‘language’), ‘Australian dollar’ (the basic sema ‘money’). The main and derivative meanings are in lexical-semantic relations ‘the whole – the part’. Each meaning (LSV) forms a synonymous row of slang nominations – words and word combinations in the following numerical representation: ‘Australia’ – 13, ‘an Australian’ – 170, ‘Australian English’ – 4, ‘Australian dollar’ – 45 lexical units. The lexical-semantic and stylistic analyses of synonyms have revealed: a) the ways of their formation – by affixation, compounding or both, clipping, abbreviation, hypocoristic shortening, blending, iteration; b) the naming processes – by periphrasis, metaphoric or metonymic transference, antonomasia, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhyming, ablaut / gradation, allusion; c) the semantic traits that facilitate their creation – colour, size, material, function, appearance, social status, location, climate, pastime, feeling.

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