Ever come across ‘do the needful’ in email communications? Or ‘passed out’ for a person who has just received his graduation degree? Indians have devised their own quirky ways of communicating in English. Though we largely adhere to British English, often interspersed with certain American connotations, certain English words and phrases have been drastically Indianised. Such ‘Indianisms’ often appear weird or even funny to native English speakers.
This linguistic globalisation is a two-way street as even British English has adopted Indian words like Juggernaut (Jagannath), avatar, hullabaloo, bungalow, shampoo, and many more. Our desi Dictionary has many pearls to share.
For instance, ‘mugging’ might indicate a serious crime or assault in America, but Indian parents are quite happy if their children are ‘mugging’ diligently, which basically means memorising a lesson.
A couple of days ago Twitter user and language-enthusiast Sophie Ross from UK decided to start an intriguing Twitter discussion highlighting the interesting Indianised words & phrases.
Linguists may argue for ages over the origin and evolution of such terms, but, meanwhile, Twitterati joined in this thread to add their opinions about these ‘Indianisms’. Have a look:
As a language lover, I adore jotting down Indian turns of phrase in English, whether translations from Indian languages, archaic English phrases or new inventions. Indian English is a valid & charming language in its own right, so here are my favourite Indianisms in English. 1/11
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— Sophie Ross (@sophierossuk) June 9, 2020
(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)
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