Mate

Mate has always been a word of companionship, but this word’s long history has also seen it acquire new meaning, particularly in Australia and Britain. It has historically been used most by men far from society who had to rely on their comrades, whether sailors at sea, soldiers at war, or desperate colonists trying to survive in hostile Australia. This led to the more romantic associations with the word that persist in the United States to be mostly lost in Australia and Britain, shifting “mate” into a word that can be used to address almost anyone. Due to its history, the word has also picked up some less desirable elitist white and toxic masculine connotations. However, this appears to be fading as younger generations begin to use the word in more cases, including ironic meanings and significant increases to its use by women.

Curiously enough, there is a similar development in the United States to the “mate” phenomenon of Britain and Australia: “bro.” While the latter has come to be much more recently, they both came from words of companionship that are not used for the literal, textbook meaning. They also share very similar connotations. “Mate” is decidedly not an “American” term, to my own understanding, but rather something associated more with the cultures in Britain and Australia. However, it is curious to note how these different cultures still came to develop such similar terms independently, perhaps hinting at how these cultures are ultimately more similar than not.

Right now, we are still recovering from a collective effort to face the substantial threat of the pandemic, and prolonged isolation has led to an increased feeling of companionship with others, even complete strangers. When used unironically, this word also expresses a feeling of comradery with the subject no matter how close they actually are. And the ironic use is much more impactful precisely as a result of the incongruity between what should be meant and what actually is. This word carries a lot of unpleasant baggage with it but steps are also being taken to make “mate” more inclusive. Which reflects the current cultural climate as well: many dormant injustices have recently gotten more attention once again, leading to a shifting period where steps are being taken once again to right the wrongs that we’ve inherited. Even the strong suspicion against attempts to use “mate” in political ways in Australia is a mirror of the overall cultural climate in the United States. Confidence in the United State government in particular has been exceptionally low, with only a fifth of the population trusting it during the last few years, a consistent pattern of decline decades in the making. The long and complicated history of this word of companionship and its shifting meaning are thus quite representative of the time we currently find ourselves in: a period of significant change with conflicts born of the past that have been long in the making.

Examples of Use

"What are you doing mate!?"

A frustrated me to a friend who may have made a mistake.