What's the Deal with Indian English?

On a Lighter Note!

First, some fun facts:

As many will know, the English language, that developed in old and middle England periods starting in the 5th century AD, has 1.27 billion speakers in the world, followed by Mandarin (1.12 billion) and Hindi (637 million).

According to linguists and Britannica, “English belongs to the Indo-European family of languages and is therefore related to most other languages spoken in Europe and western Asia from Iceland to India.”

Interestingly, they note, “During the course of thousands of years, English words have been slowly simplified from the inflected variable forms found in Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Russian, and German, toward invariable forms, as in Chinese and Vietnamese.”

Cultural Context

In the 2011 Census of India, approximately 260,000 Indians reported English as their native language, and 130 million (10% of the population) confirmed they spoke English.

Most literate Indians know at least 3-4 languages: their native tongue (if not English), the language of the region they live in (if different), the ‘national’ language—Hindi, and English.

English has been an official language in India for over 275 years.

It serves as a common language across the country, which boasts a diverse array of languages and resists the notion of Hindi being superimposed as the national language, since not everyone speaks it.

Official forms are available in triplicate: English, Hindi, and the local language.

In fact, in one region in the South, locals will refuse to speak Hindi (even if they understand it) and will prefer to speak to you in English if you are unfamiliar with their local language.

In universities, schools, workplaces, banks, healthcare places, and government offices, English is the common language used for all transactions, sometimes with the support of local language translations if necessary. You can insist on using English since not everyone speaks the same language, and it may appear discriminatory to favor one language over others.

For some, it is a matter of pride to speak English.

Therefore, it puzzles many Indians when they arrive in the US for work or school and are complimented by surprised citizens, unaware of the history of English in India, with, "You speak very good English.”

On the contrary, if you are visiting India, and happen to compliment the cab drivers, delivery workers, shop employees, or random helpers (informal workers) on their English, they will relish it.

Yet, the English spoken, written, and understood in India may surprise those who presume that English is the same everywhere.

For most educated in English-medium schools (from primary to university) in India, this difference does not surface much in their daily interaction.

I addressed one instance of the difference in this article.

In this post, I highlight the contours of Indian English.

The English language used in India has evolved into a unique form by incorporating archaic English terms from previous ages and blending them with native cultural tones, understandings, and proclivities.

Sometimes, the way English is rendered by less formally educated Indians mirrors how sentences are constructed in local languages.

So, while it may not make grammatical sense, it can be traced to the structure of sentences in local languages or understood through cultural nuances.

Here are four examples to help explain these differences, ensuring you won't miss a beat when conversing with someone who uses 'Indian English' phrases.

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

If you meet an Indian, born and schooled in India, and invite them to share something about themselves, you may be puzzled to hear that they ‘passed out’ in 1991.

In case you wonder why a stranger would share their drunken stories or a health issue, know that you have been introduced to Indian English.

Demonstrate your understanding by simply asking, “From which school?” rather than a startled, “What do you mean?”

This is because the term ‘passed out’ refers to the act of passing exams and moving up in class grades, extended to ‘passing out of college,’ or in other words, graduating.

When meeting work colleagues and new hires in India, a common question may be about their weekend activities.

If they say they went out with their brother, be aware that it may be their cousin.

Without any hesitation, ask: “Is this your brother or cousin?”

They will clarify that the brother is their 'first' or 'second' cousin and then go back to telling you what fun events they attended with the brother as though the nuance is not important.

This is because in some extended families in India, cousins are also referred to as brothers or sisters.

Some people may be more specific and refer to the person as their 'cousin brother' or 'cousin sister.'

An exception to this 'sister' rule is that in some sub-cultures or specific income groups, a daughter may be married to her mother’s brother (uncle) or cousin, in which case her husband is also her uncle!

If you are surprised, be sure to read my upcoming premium post on culture in India for context, and the cultural dilemma I refer to in the monthly roundup.

Photo by Raj Rana on Unsplash

If you meet an Indian couple at a social occasion—like a wedding or party—they might say their co-sister or co-brother works in the same company as you.

Without skipping a beat, you should nod and say “That's great,” because as an expert in Indian English, you understand they mean the spouse of their spouse's sibling.

Confused?

In most Indian vernacular languages, each relative has a specific term.

But in English, there are no such granular definitions.

So, what is an Indian to do when referring to the wife of their husband’s brother and distinguishing her from the sibling of their spouse who is the “sister-in-law”?

Someone decided “co-sister” was appropriate, and so it stands.

This term is so common that the Cambridge Dictionary decided to offer it a place of honor!

If your Indian neighbor’s eight-year-old daughter visits your home, don’t be surprised if she calls you “Aunty” or “Uncle.”

It is a term of respect for any adult or elder, whether related or not.

In India, young adults in some regions add the suffix ‘ji’¹ to ‘Aunty’ to further strengthen the term of respect and acknowledge their cultural roots.

Asking them to call you Mr. X or Ms. Y may be tough, but you might succeed if you are persistent but it may be difficult to overcome their natural instincts, especially if they need to refer to you often in a conversation.

What if you are a young adult?

Being called “Aunty” is no fun. You can gently correct the child and ask her to call you by your name or “Didi,” which refers to an elder sister in Hindi and is an acceptable alternative term in this context.²

This naming practice is common among Indian kids, whether they grew up in India or abroad, especially when interacting with other Indian families. ³

That’s it, folks! So long until the next instalment of Indian English!

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Was this helpful? Have you encountered any unique Indian English terms you'd like to share?

1. Hindi, pronounced like the letter ‘g’. It is a honorific suffix - Uncleji; Auntyji; akin to Mr./Ms.

2. The equivalent for an older brother is ‘Bhaiyya.’ In other families, siblings may be called by name.

3. Remember, we are not speaking of exceptions here, but general rules.