Zed to zee revisited: notes from Dunedin on the Americanisation of the NZE lexicon through time

Abstract

A sample of 104 Dunedin high school students supplied data on their use of either traditional New Zealand or American vocabulary pairs such as torch/ flashlight and
lift/elevator. Results are compared with earlier studies carried out in Dunedin in 1984-85 and Auckland 1990. These comparisons suggest that acceptance of American lexical forms in New Zealand English is mediated by both change over time and regional variation.