Australian English is a unique record of a country's history, and of the preoccupations and attitudes of its people. Each of the 10,000 words which make up the Australian contribution to the English language has its own fascinating history. The Concise Australian National Dictionary contains all 10,000 words found in The Australian National Dictionary, which Oxford published in 1988. It includes combinations and collocations, as well as definitions, etymologies, and pronunciations. For each word listed the earliest citation is given, along with at least one other quotation. It therefore traces, informatively and comprehensively, all those words which were coined in Australia, which have a wider currency in Australia than elsewhere, or which have special significance in Australian history. A virtual compendium of the national temperaments, it is a rich slice of Australia's linguistic, cultural, and social identity.