Whilst looking on the internet it became clear that there is a huge amount of negativity associated with this word and that it’s commonly used as a term of abuse. This is something that I hadn’t previously thought about before starting this course. The media representation of ‘Chav’ can be seen in comic elements such as the infamous ‘Vicki Pollard’ with her ‘yeah but, no but’ phrase, which tells us that it’s ok to laugh at this particular group of people. There has even been you tube videos depicting ‘chav hunting’, where so called ‘Chav’s are hunted and beaten (). When we consider the social impact of the word ‘Chav’ and its effect on those given this label it’s not as funny as we first thought.
Word Count: 592
References
(accessed 14th November 2010)
Swann, J. (2007) ‘English voices’ in Graddol, D., Leith, D., Swann, J., Rhys, M. and Gillen, J. (eds) Changing English, London, Routledge/ The Open University, p18.
(All accessed 14th November 2010)
Subject eTMA02 Part Two – Response to SG’s posting on ‘Mate’
Shazad,
I found your investigation into the use of the word 'mate' interesting, and personally I have some experience of using this word in a work-related environment. I work for a very large and male dominated organisation. A large part of my role requires me to communicate in person and on the telephone with the majority of that communication being with internal managers and staff. It is important to establish effective working relations in my role, and I find that I use the word 'mate' a lot, and I find that I am addressed using this word also.
I decided to look this word up on the Oxford English Dictionary and found the following definitions;
A companion, fellow, comrade, friend; a fellow worker or business partner
Used as a form of address to a person, esp. a man, regarded as an equal
The use of the word 'mate' can be categorised as a dialect word which is most popularly used in Britain, Australia and New Zealand (). Although it's more famously favoured in Australia, with the phrase 'g'day mate' as a greeting form. As you have identified from your research the origin of the word is unclear. Although I discovered that it may have come from the Proto-Germanic word 'ga=maton' (). This meaning is defined as 'having food' and refers to the word 'gemate' - 'one eating at the same table, messmate'. This does tie in with your research that indicates a nautical origin.
As you have identified the use of the word 'mate' in terms of usage is mostly associated with the male population. Rhys states that 'men use more non-standard forms than women' (Rhys, 2007, p 195) and my first hand experience of this word seems to support this. In fact, I find that I rarely use the word when I interact with women. Another reason for this male usage of the word can also be supported by Rhys 'non standard forms present a more masculine, tough and rebellious image' (Rhys, 2007, p196).
Having spoken to some male colleagues, they identified another use of the word 'mate', which appears to be contrary to the commonly accepted usage of friendship. The usage is that of a more aggressive, male to male confrontation that is almost never used by women. By a man aggressively stating to another man, for example 'watch what you're doing, mate'.
Although I do find the OED definitions relating to the word 'fellow worker' and 'regarded as an equal' very interesting when I relate this to my own working environment. When men use this term when addressing females, are they indicating that not only is it a term of endearment but a statement that they accept the female as an equal. Although in the context of a large and diverse organisation this can be a way of using a non Standard English word to reduce gender bias and identify yourself with a larger community of people where everyone is your 'mate'.
I think that when women use this term in relation to the opposite sex it is a term of endearment but also to establish a relationship context that is clearly defined as friendship. This is the polar opposite of one of the alternate meanings of the word 'mate', that of a sexual partner. Another reason why women in my organisation use the word mate could be as Rhys states that women are 'accommodating or adjusting to the speech of their interlocutor' (Rhys, 2007, p196). The interlocutors in my example of my own organisation are my male colleagues who greatly outnumber the female staff population and the women may just be 'accommodating'.
Word Count: 606
References
(All accessed 21st November 2010)
Rhys, M. (2007) 'Dialect variation in English' in Graddol, D., Leith, D., Swann, J., Rhys, M. and Gillen, J. (eds) Changing English, London, Routledge / The Open University
Initial Posting - TMA 02 The term 'mate'.
Aspects of the use of a common vernacular term ‘mate’ will be discussed. The term ‘mate’ as an informal address is a term of endearment that is usually indicative of a same sex friend not be confused with the formal verb form that describes the act of copulation central to reproduction of animals. In other senses of the word the ‘mate’ joined with another word or as part of a two word phrase confounds the meaning somewhat as in checkmate, soul mate and first mate. Checkmate a chess term denotes ‘complete victory’ and is removed from this enquiry as the central concern that preoccupies this debate is one that relates to the term ‘mate’ as an informal address. The term soul mate certainly has greater relevance since it appears to be using the term ‘mate’ in the noun form and in the context of endearment. The military term first mate a nautical term of rank and hierarchy in commercial maritime also appears to use the otherwise colloquial term as part of a specialist formal register.
The origins (believed to be circa 1400s AD) of the term are by no means clear although there is a compelling argument that suggests that the nautical term and further term ‘messmate’ a military term could form a source of original usage that extended to the more generic vernacular address.
(World Origins, Dictionary.com)
History and origins aside the concern central to this investigation is usage. Who uses the term? How common is it? Who doesn’t use it? These are some of the kinds of questions that will be addressed albeit briefly. There is some research that exists on the usage of the term ‘mate’ which reflects changes in popularity. Though the research is specific to Australian usage of the word and is difficult to gauge in terms of how much it can be extrapolated and applied to UK usage it does reflect some interesting social and global trends in usage.
The term is discussed extensively with reference to a study of 698 respondents split over gender and rural/urban population that were asked whether they used the term ‘mate’ and if so whether they liked the term when addressing or being addressed. Rendle-Short’s study holds the term as a quintessentially Australian egalitarian term of solidarity and endearment. From the study it emerges that the sample group of males almost unanimously approved of using the term and being addressed by the usage of the term. In the female sample the approval was a 70-30% split in favour of the term. It emerges from the wider discussion in the study and references to other commentary on the subject that ‘mate’ is considered an essentially dyadic address in as much as first name or more formal title and surname address in those situations is redundant unless attracting the attention of an individual.
The only grounds for objection were stated as ‘stigmatized variants’ as opposed to ‘prestige variants’ and the stigma of the term as stated particularly by 50+ females was that it was a working class masculine term. Nevertheless the study does at least among the sample outline an overwhelmingly widespread usage of the term although the rise in usage and context are not covered to the same extent. There is mention of a rise in female usage in the following way: women have a wide variety of reasons, including because they like the term that they use it when addressing children, and because they use it when joking. Predominantly, however, all women state that they use mate because it is a friendly term or they think of it as a term of endearment. (cited in Rendle-Short, 2009)
The reasons of resistance of informal usage seem to echo Mugglestone and Leith (Graddol, 2007) in accent and dialect studies. In dialect studies of Creole the process of decreolisation (Leith, 2007) to RP is a process more readily observed in females and corresponding increases in age group as in Rendle-Short’s findings. The disparate views and the subsequent gender split in usage of standard forms are evidenced and cited in Graddol (pp.197 and 198, 2007) by Rhys whereby he reflects ‘macro social factors of social class and gender and age’.
660 words
References:
Dictionary.com:
American Psychological Association (APA):
mate. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from Dictionary.com website:
Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
mate. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. (accessed: November 14, 2010).
Modern Language Association (MLA):
"mate." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 14 Nov. 2010. <Dictionary.com >.
Rendle-Short, Johanna (2009) 'The Address Term Mate in Australian English: Is it Still a Masculine Term?', Australian Journal of Linguistics, 29: 2, 245 — 268, London, Routledge, [ The Open University Library] Downloaded 1st November 2010.
Mugglestone, L. (2007) ‘Accent as a Social Symbol’ in Graddol, D., Swann, J., Rhys, M. and Gillen, J. (eds) Changing English, London, Routledge/ The Open University.
Leith, D. (2007) ‘English- colonial to postcolonial’ in Graddol, D., Swann, J., Rhys, M. and Gillen, J. (eds) Changing English, London, Routledge/ The Open University. Pp. 144-147.
Rhys, M. (2007) ‘Dialect variation in English’ in Graddol, D., Swann, J., Rhys, M. and Gillen, J. (eds) Changing English, London, Routledge/ The Open University.
