Kathryn Burridge

Professor Kathryn Burridge is a renowned linguist at Monash University, holding the Chair of Linguistics in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. A Fellow of both the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, her career spans over four decades. She earned her PhD in 1983 from the University of London, focusing on syntactic change in medieval Dutch, and has held academic roles at institutions including La Trobe University. Her research emphasizes language change, taboo/euphemism dynamics, public language perceptions, and aging-related communication. Over 20 authored/edited books reflect her expertise, including Forbidden Words and Introducing English Grammar.

Key projects include investigating mental health communication in aging populations (2022–2026) and Australian vernacular metaphors (2021–2025). She actively engages with media via ABC Radio and TEDx Talks, addressing language evolution and societal impacts. Her work contributes to UN SDGs through health communication and cultural studies.

Notable awards include ARC grants for projects like 'The Cultural Model of Ageing in Australian English' (2014–2018). She serves as an associate editor for Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology and collaborates internationally on language dynamics. Recent publications explore swearing in global online discourse, metaphors of aging, and Irish influences on Australian English.