The Australian National Dictionary

The Australian National Dictionary: A Dictionary of Australianisms on Historical Principles

W.S. Ramson. Oxford University Press, 1988. 814 pages. ISBN 0 19 554736 5.

The Australian National Dictionary is the first comprehensive, historically based record of the 10,000 words which make up the Australian contribution to the English language. Every entry provides its own fascinating insight into Australia's rich and diverse linguistic heritage.

It is a dictionary of Australianisms - those words and meanings which have originated in Australia, which have greater currency here than elsewhere, or which have a special significance in Australian history. It records the historical development of Australian words and phrases from their earliest use to the present day, providing evidence of this history in some 60,000 dated and referenced quotations drawn from over 9,000 Australian sources.

The Australian National Dictionary took ten years to compile. It is the product of the fullest and most detailed research ever undertaken into the history of the Australian English vocabulary. Staff at the Centre are currently working on a second edition of The Australian National Dictionary, due for completion around 2008.

The Concise Australian National Dictionary

Joan Hughes. Oxford University Press, 1992. 662 pages. ISBN 0 19 553433 6.

This book contains all 10,000 headwords found in the parent dictionary, as well as definitions, etymologies and pronunciations. For each headword, the earliest citation is provided, along with at least one other quotation.