"whitefella" means: A white man or Caucasian person, especially as opposed to an Aboriginal Australian.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
whitefella
(Australia) A white man or Caucasian person, especially as opposed to an Aboriginal Australian.
Definitions
(Australia) A white man or Caucasian person, especially as opposed to an Aboriginal Australian.
2003, transcript, in Peter McConchie (recorder), Elders: Wisdom from Australia′s Indigenous Leaders, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vyRLr7JNYvcC&pg=PA18&dq=%22whitefella%22%7C%22whitefellas%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MIu8UJmhIeL1mAWww4GwDg&r…
"whitefella" means: A white man or Caucasian person, especially as opposed to an Aboriginal Australian.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"whitefella" means: A white man or Caucasian person, especially as opposed to an Aboriginal Australian.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (Australian) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
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Other words near "whitefella" (W)
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- whitefeller86%
(Australia) A white settler in Australia; a non-Aboriginal Australian; often used attributively.
- blackfellow72%
A (male) Australian Aboriginal.
- wadjela71%
(AU, Aboriginal, _, slang) A white person.
- blackfeller71%
(Australia) An Australian Aboriginal.
- pfella70%
(Australia, Australian Aboriginal) A fellow.