The quirks of Indian English

snowcrab

English starts to morph into strange forms everywhere. There are American idioms I find as hilarious as anything in India. What the hell is a "factoid"? And what is wrong with the letter "u" that is has to be removed from words like colour, honour etc. Same with "ight" as in lite.

Apana

Rob,

Standard english, without a doubt, with RP. If we let the language run riot then we will not be able to understand one another. Still further, if this country aspires to providing services to the world (BPO etc.) it cannot be done using Hinglish.

Continuing with colonial English:

out of station = out of town (station = cantonment)

having a beat up = going on a drinking binge (Army speak).


Apana

sgeneris

Rob,
I think you mean 'Prepone' and not "Propone", correct?

Snowcrab,
The dropping of the 'u' was suggested by Mr. Webster and Ben Franklin as part of their effort to simplify the English spelling(s). Not a bad idea after all.

Several years back there was a BBC serial on English and its many forms. It was absolutely fascinating.

dzibead

"Lite" isn't American - it's Adspeak! And "factoid" is a recent coinage that's actually pretty useful. It's also intentionally ironic: just as a humanoid is not quite human, a factoid is something offered as a "fact" that isn't. And the letter "u" in those words? Quite otiose. No surprise that the redoubtable Ben Franklin thought it could go.

Rob_The_Pom

You're quite right Apana, I do mean PREPONE. I'd had rather too many largers when I made the post! It's remarkable that I was even semi-coherent!

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Nick-H

We're forgetting one that is seen on every street...

A Hotel here is actually a cafe.

Except, of course, for the ones that are hotels.

Goonda; thanks for the clarification.

Air-dash; yes I have seen that.

Oh, I read of someone in the Kanchi Matt case having 'turned approver'. In EngEnglish this makes no sense at all, in context I think it means "informer"?

Seekers of IndEnglish gems need look no further each day that the New Indain Express newspaper.

Nick-H

There is no choice. It will run riot as there is no effective means of control.

Even in UK, where once the BBC was the arbiter of English pronunciation and grammar, it is going to pieces. BBC journalists regular make grammatical hashes, mix metaphors and make up nonsense ones.

This is often defended as being more accessible, but I hold with the original Reithian idea that standard English pronounciation was not at all a matter of snobbery (even if the radio newsreaders did have to wear dinner jackets ) but actually quite the opposite. It was a form of English that was understandable to all, regardlessless of their regional accent. A true socialism of information.

torryquine

We loved some of the language you get in newspapers eg

"Hankypanky" - refering to political/corporate corruption, (not a bedroom farce)

"Dacoits" being "nabbed" in the "wee small hours" - gorgeous

lalooprasadyadav

"rowdy sheeter" - also "history sheeter" - someone with a police record(history).

"item number" - a song in a bollywood film which is not part of the plot.A female (who has no other role in the film) dances as suggestively as she can, with as few clothes on as she can get away with.

Such a female used to be known as a "vamp". I don't know if this word is still in use.

beach

I did not know the exact meaning of ‘get real’ ‘go figure’ even now I don’t know it for sure. In the context I understand that this something related to being realistic.

So were the words ‘cool’ and ‘hot’. This (the special usage) was brought here by our DJ and VJs (who struggle so hard to prove that they are not good at Hindi or Tamil or Telugu or whatever). For me hot is hot and cool is cool. Means if you heat something it becomes hot. When a bottle of water is put inside the fridge, it becomes cool.

When they started telling ‘Oh that is a hot movie’ or ‘that’s cool shot’. What the hell is the difference? I understood both as interesting or exciting or whatever.

Any way I also started using such words at random, not that I know what it means. Some times it makes others think that I’m sophisticated or contemporary or whatever…..

VJ: Hello! Who is this calling..?
Caller : Hello! This is Anju from Hyderabad.
VJ: Cool! (what is cool? The girl or Hyderabad?) What do you do Anju…
Caller : I’m studying. I’m doing BA in economics.
VJ: Great! (what is so great about BA in economics). Who are all there in your family?
Caller: I’ve amma, pappa and my younger brother.
VJ: Okay Anju, how do you go to college?
Caller: I’ve a scooty.
VJ: That’s cool! (a scooty is hot at least when it runs!) What song do you want me to play for you?
…..
…..
……

Jeroen

Tune: '... a sum to the tune of €500'

I was reading a non-India related book recently when I came across this strange term... I looked up the name of the translator... indeed, and Indian!

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Idli

"I will intimate (let you know) you as soon as I get the money"
I don't know if this (Intimate) originated in India or we got it from Brits.

Of course my American coworker did not like what I said.

sgeneris

Idli,
Maybe he/she felt intimi-dated by the connotation with intimacy

sgeneris

Jeroen,
I think sometimes people just get carried away with using phrases that maybe are more appropriate for written word than spoken language. My one friend was stuck up on using 'to the tune of' a bit too much. So, to him a normal conversation started with 'Sachin hit 4s and 6s and scored to the tune of 220'.

Matty Gee

How can anything be Semi-luxury.....?

Cheap and Best


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