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Hinglish
- Thread starter Thadeus
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Actually, this tendency to mix languages is as popular and old as more than one language came into existence.
My multilingual friends don't usually speak one single pure language, except in formal occasions, or with people they are not familiar, or when they write.
My multilingual friends don't usually speak one single pure language, except in formal occasions, or with people they are not familiar, or when they write.
KenCunningham
Technical User
I always remember the old Punch (UK) magazine carried a column of 'Franglais' definitions, but that was some time ago.
When you don't have a word as "mortgage" in your native language you say it in English, right? Then some multiply words description in native can be said in English in one word (like "shopping") so you say it in English.
Then some catchy words in English like "Turkey"...
My Mom calling her friend from the old country saying "We are celebrating Thanksgiving"
Silence on the other end.
Mom forgot that "Thanksgiving" is not international word but then remember and trying to fix it and continue
"Sorry dear I meant to say Turkey Day"
Silence continue then Mom said slow bit visible getting irritated
"Day when we eat Turkey and thank G_d fo all good..."
I was there holding my burst and when she glanced at me she was like electricuted, she jumped and started to laugh and apologized to her dear friend on the other end and friend said that she couldn't believe we actualy eating Turkey (as a country she meant).
So what I am saying is that some English words are (actually a lot of English words this way)
shorter
catchy
no substitute
OK like (international)
and slowly but shurely English is going to take over I am sure.
Then some catchy words in English like "Turkey"...
My Mom calling her friend from the old country saying "We are celebrating Thanksgiving"
Silence on the other end.
Mom forgot that "Thanksgiving" is not international word but then remember and trying to fix it and continue
"Sorry dear I meant to say Turkey Day"
Silence continue then Mom said slow bit visible getting irritated
"Day when we eat Turkey and thank G_d fo all good..."
I was there holding my burst and when she glanced at me she was like electricuted, she jumped and started to laugh and apologized to her dear friend on the other end and friend said that she couldn't believe we actualy eating Turkey (as a country she meant).
So what I am saying is that some English words are (actually a lot of English words this way)
shorter
catchy
no substitute
OK like (international)
and slowly but shurely English is going to take over I am sure.
TheRambler
Programmer
In Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, people of LA in 2019 also talk in a mixture of Japanese, German and Spanish, besides English. Many issues in this futuristic movie such as urban development, genetic engineering and weather change seem familiar to us today.
"More people now speak English as a second language than as their mother tongue, a factor which may explain the development of some Blade Runneresque hybrids.
Spanglish is spoken by some 31 million people. This mix of Spanish and English words was born in the Hispanic communities of United States, but has since spread back into Latin America.
Singapore too boasts hybrid language, Singlish...
Variations on English may not have it all their own way though. The languages of China may play an increasingly important global role.
Thanks to the rapid growth of the internet in the People's Republic, it is predicted Chinese will become the dominant e-language well before 2019."
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens...
"More people now speak English as a second language than as their mother tongue, a factor which may explain the development of some Blade Runneresque hybrids.
Spanglish is spoken by some 31 million people. This mix of Spanish and English words was born in the Hispanic communities of United States, but has since spread back into Latin America.
Singapore too boasts hybrid language, Singlish...
Variations on English may not have it all their own way though. The languages of China may play an increasingly important global role.
Thanks to the rapid growth of the internet in the People's Republic, it is predicted Chinese will become the dominant e-language well before 2019."
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens...
Dimandja,
exactly my point!!! "Some words, or grammatical structures are better in one language or another."
And I think if ever counted English would take a lead.
As 2 of my nieces came to US when they were 10 and 11.
So they had good vacabulary in native language, but in less then a year I see them sitting in a dark speaking English to each other and I was like WHY? And the answer was "we are speaking native ONLY when absolutely necessery"
I left dumbfounded and I started to suspect that English MUST be more convenient to talk. We are not talking peer pressure here - they were alone with 10+ years of native language experience. So English must be "sexiest" of all?
exactly my point!!! "Some words, or grammatical structures are better in one language or another."
And I think if ever counted English would take a lead.
As 2 of my nieces came to US when they were 10 and 11.
So they had good vacabulary in native language, but in less then a year I see them sitting in a dark speaking English to each other and I was like WHY? And the answer was "we are speaking native ONLY when absolutely necessery"
I left dumbfounded and I started to suspect that English MUST be more convenient to talk. We are not talking peer pressure here - they were alone with 10+ years of native language experience. So English must be "sexiest" of all?
I think what makes English "sexy" is its liberalism. There is practically no cultural resistance to change and improvement. I also think American English is even more liberal than British English. Check the ratio of growth of American dictionaries versus British dictionaries every year.
Actually, English as a language came about after the (French) Normans invaded England and defeated the (Germanic) Saxons. The language the two groups used to communicate with each other (plus some from the true "natives" of England) evolved into what we now know as English.
-Dell
-Dell
The French language was developed from the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire, and is divided into three historic and linguistic periods: Old French, which developed before the 14th century; Middle French, which was used between the 14th and 16th centuries; and Modern French, which was used after the 16th century and continues to be in use today. During all of these periods, the French language was heavily influenced by other languages."
From
From
Damn I miss her.
CajunCenturion
Programmer
hilfy - Your statement is correct in several respects in that the Norman conquests are considered as one of the most important, if not the most important, event in the development of the English Langauge. The Norman conquests are behind the development of "Middle English". But "Old English" does predate the Normans by roughly 500 years, and is heavily Germanic, with the Angles and the Saxons being the predominate peoples settling Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. Although, much of Old English has been discarded, hence the importance of the Norman invasions, there are still many words that trace back to Old English, not the least of which is the verb 'to be'.
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English, well British English (I won't comment on US-English), is totally promiscous in terms of absorbing words from other languages.
Indian languages, I'm not sure specifically if they're Hindi, have given us loads of words - bungalow, veranda and juggernaut - all come to mind. Basically, if we don't have a word for it, we'll nick (steal/borrow) one; or if we hear one we like we'll acquire that too.
Hinglish is simply a case of the boot being on the other foot - so why not?
Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)
Indian languages, I'm not sure specifically if they're Hindi, have given us loads of words - bungalow, veranda and juggernaut - all come to mind. Basically, if we don't have a word for it, we'll nick (steal/borrow) one; or if we hear one we like we'll acquire that too.
Hinglish is simply a case of the boot being on the other foot - so why not?
Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)
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