Australians are known for their use of the phrase "G'day mate" and that's considered stereotypically Australian. But where did it originate? Do people in England, Ireland, Scotland, or some other English speaking country say it continuously in their speech? I would like to know the origin of it. The only idea I've heard is that it originated in London and is part of Cockney speech.
It is possible that the mate part is a relic of a partially seafareing origin where shipmates would routinely call each other mateo or mate. The G'day part seems to be a natural contraction of good day and it is possible that it was an affected manner to establish the difference between the nobs who fully enunciated each word with a plumb in the mouth and the general relaxed aussie ethos. See ya .,,
I'd guess the mate part is Cockney. Mate is very commonly used in informal BE (though I admit that coming from a stranger it grates on me as seeming too intimate). Curiously, the good day part is a very formal part of BE and now mainly archaic.
