Indian English

Indian English, also called IndE or IE, is a group of dialects of the English language spoken in the Republic of India and among the Indian diaspora. It is native to India and is one of the two languages used by the Government of India for communication, as stated in the Constitution of India. English is an official language in several states and union territories of India and is the sole official language of the Judiciary of India, unless regional languages are allowed for use in courts.

Before the British Empire ended its rule on the Indian subcontinent, the term “Indian English” referred to what is now called South Asian English or British Indian English. Today, India has one of the world’s largest English-speaking communities.

Status

After India became independent from British rule in 1947, English stayed as an official language. Today, only a small part of India’s people, less than 0.1%, speak English as their first language, but about 30% can speak some English.

English is important in India because it helps people from different regions talk to each other. It is used in courts and many businesses. Even though Hindi is also used in some courts, English remains a key language in India’s legal system.

Names

The term "Indian English" was first used in 1696, but it didn’t become common until the 1800s. Back then, people often called it "Anglo-Indian English" or just "Anglo-Indian." Other names included "Indo-Anglian" and "Indo-English."

Today, people use fun mixed-up words like "Indlish" or "Inglish" to talk about Indian English. Some also call it "Macaulay's English" after a person named Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Features

Indian English uses a special way of counting numbers called the Indian numbering system. It also includes words and phrases from Indian languages, but still sounds quite similar to other types of English.

When writing formally in India, people often use words like "lakh" and "crore" to talk about Indian money, but use the regular Western numbers for foreign money like dollars and pounds. These words might be new to people who are not used to reading Indian English news.

History

See also: Glossary of the British Raj

British India

English started in India when Queen Elizabeth I gave a charter to the East India Company in 1600. This led to trading ports in cities like Surat, Mumbai (called Bombay before 1995), Chennai (called Madras before 1996), and Kolkata (called Calcutta before 2001).

In the 1830s, English began to be used in schools. In 1835, it replaced Persian as the official language of the East India Company. Lord Macaulay helped bring English into schools and supported using it to teach other subjects. By 1857, universities in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras were using English for teaching.

Republic of India

After India gained independence in 1947, Modern Standard Hindi was chosen as the first official language. But because many people in non-Hindi-speaking areas protested, English was kept for official use. Today, English is still widely used, especially for communication between different states.

Many Indians now see English as a way to improve economic opportunities. However, not everyone in India has good access to English education, which limits its use to a smaller group of people. Some believe teaching Indian English instead of British English would better prepare students for both local and international use.

Hinglish and other hybrid languages

Main articles: Hinglish, Tenglish, and Tanglish

See also: Englishisation § South Asia

The word Hinglish mixes the words English and Hindi. It describes when people mix these two languages together in their speaking and writing. Many young people in cities and towns in India, as well as Indians living in other countries, enjoy using Hinglish. The famous Bollywood movie industry often uses Hinglish in its films. Even some internet tools and voice commands can understand Hinglish.

There are other fun mixes of languages too! For example, Minglish mixes Marathi and English, Banglish mixes Bengali and English, Manglish mixes Malayalam and English, Kanglish mixes Kannada and English, Tenglish mixes Telugu and English, and Tanglish or Tamglish mixes Tamil and English. These mixes are popular in different parts of South India.

Phonology

Indian English has some unique ways of pronouncing words, especially for people whose first language is something like Hindi. One big difference is in how "r" sounds are spoken. Some people in the north, like students and teachers, often soften the "r" sound. For example, "flower" might sound like "flaʊ.ə" and "water" like "ʋɒtə". In the south, especially for Telugu speakers, the "r" sound can change to a different sound, making "water" sound like "wɒtaɾ".

Another difference is in how certain vowel sounds are used. For example, many Indian English speakers don’t always make the same sound for words like "class" and "staff", which in other English types might sound different. Also, some North Indians speak with an intonation pattern similar to Irish English, possibly because of how Hindi is spoken.

There are also special ways consonants are pronounced. For example, the "p", "t", and "k" sounds in Indian English are often not aspirated (not breathed out heavily), unlike in many other English types. This means "pin" sounds like "pɪn" instead of the heavier "pʰɪn" found in other dialects. The "t" and "d" sounds can also become more like the "ṭ" and "ḍ" sounds in Indian languages.

In Indian English, the "th" sound, as in "thin" or "this", is often replaced with a "t" or "d" sound. For example, "thin" might sound like "t̪ʰɪn". The "v" and "w" sounds are sometimes used interchangeably, and the "l" and "n" sounds might be rolled a bit more than in other English types.

Indian English speakers sometimes change the ending of words based on how they sound in their native language. For example, the ending “-ed” in past tense verbs might sound like “d” instead of “t” after certain consonants. Also, the “s” at the end of plural nouns might sound like “s” instead of “z” after voiced sounds.

Overall, Indian English has a rhythm that feels more even, like in French, rather than the stressed-timed rhythm of British or American English. This can make the accent sound a bit “sing-song” to some listeners.

Numbering system

The Indian numbering system is used for grouping digits. For numbers below 100,000, people say them just like in Standard English. But for numbers 100,000 and above, they use a special Indian way. For very big numbers, they might say things like one lakh crores for one trillion.

Vocabulary

Further information: Glossary of the British Raj

Indian English has many special words and phrases. Some come from old Indian traditions and others are just ways people talk in India. Words like dharna, hartal, vote bank, swaraj, and swadeshi are used in politics and government. Everyday words like tiffin for lunch or a snack and gymkhana for a social club are also part of Indian English.

Indian English sometimes uses words in unique ways. For example, words that usually mean a lot of something, like "evidence" or "training," can be used to talk about just one piece or one session. This makes communication a bit different from other types of English.

Spelling

Spelling in Indian English usually follows the British way. For example, words like travelling, litre, practise (when used as a verb), anaesthesia, fulfil, catalogue, realise, and colour are used, instead of the American versions.

Dictionaries

One of the most famous dictionaries of Indian English is Hobson-Jobson, first published in 1886. Many other books tried to list words from Indian languages used in English over the years.

The first dictionary made after India became independent was published in 1984. Since then, many more have been created to help people understand how Indian English is different from British English. The newest one came out in 2017.