Timbit, Javex and Zed: Do Canadians realize that they have a unique vocabulary?

Abstract

Many Canadians feel that there is some difference between Canadian and American speech beyond simply the spelling of "colour," and linguistic research has confirmed that many vocabulary items, like poutine, eavestrough, and skate-a-thon, are found only in Canada. Although this topic has been popularized somewhat by books like Katherine Barber's Only in Canada, You Say, the extent to which Canadians are aware of the distinctness of their everyday vocabulary is still uncertain. This survey of 54 Queen's students, all native English-speaking Canadians age 24 and under, shows that real and false Canadianisms can be placed in categories based on meaning association and frequency of usage that correlate to the likelihood that respondents will judge them as "uniquely Canadian." Comparing identification and usage also reveals some intriguing characteristics of this demographic, including the decline of "chesterfield," contact with "francophones," and gender differences in food-related Canadianisms. This presentation will examine both specific examples and general trends found in the survey, as well as suggesting potential areas for further related study.