All Questions
Tagged with subcontinental-english word-usage
33
questions
0
votes
1
answer
466
views
When was the term Godi Media coined?
When was the term Godi Media coined?
I know that godi means lap so, it kind of means 'lapdog media'.
It is been used very frequently in India to describe the media supporting the ruling government.
...
- 383
3
votes
0
answers
108
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Where does the subcontinental usage of 'one' to mean 'named' come from?
Sometimes, when reading texts published in India, written by authors of Indian origin, I notice a usage of the word one in the sense of 'named,' or 'is called.' For instance, it's present in this ...
- 8,620
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Why do South Indians call restaurants 'hotels'?
In South India, it's common to use the word 'hotel' when referring to what North Indians (and most of the rest of the world) know as a 'restaurant.' It's not just a phenomenon seen among small, micro-...
- 8,620
2
votes
4
answers
718
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Can Practice (verb) and Practise (verb) indicate two different meanings?
I recall that at school (in the late 1960s/early 1970s) in England I was taught how and when to use Practice and Practise. What I was taught was this:
Practice, when used as a verb, means to do ...
- 797
1
vote
1
answer
112
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Is it normative to use "even" in the sense of "too", "also"? [duplicate]
My colleagues often use "even" as in "Even I was thinking about that" instead of "I also was thinking about that". This usage seems to be widespread in India. Is it ...
- 11
3
votes
1
answer
420
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What is the origin of extra prepositions added after verbs in Indian English?
It seems that speakers of Indian English often add prepositions to create phrasal verbs in situations where the verb would have been sufficient on its own.
Some examples I have noticed:
to “pass out” ...
- 1,744
1
vote
4
answers
5k
views
She is his would be/ wife to be
In India there is a tendency to call a woman or a man as would be in the sense of his future wife or her future husband.
She is his would be ( wife)
He is ...
- 2,748
24
votes
5
answers
10k
views
Is "I" an alphabet or a letter?
I came across this sentence,
"Modi understands only one alphabet, and that is the capital I"
in the Indian writer Dr. Shashi Tharoor's recently published book "The Paradoxical Prime ...
- 8,518
3
votes
3
answers
869
views
Do native English speakers still refer to their teachers by the old-fashioned terms "sir" or "miss"?
In the Indian subcontinent (and some other surrounding areas), there's this practice of putting the titles "sir" and "miss" (not ms.—mind you) after the name of school-level teachers. For ...
- 906
0
votes
2
answers
135
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Is criminalisation the right word to describe the involvement of criminals?
In the Indian media and public discourse, the phrase 'criminalisation of politics' is often used to indicate one or more of the following:
The nexus between organized crime and politics
High, and ...
- 133
0
votes
1
answer
1k
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Why is "dare" used in "One of you dare not fight with him"?
The sentence is :
One of you dare not fight with him.
One of you dares not fight with him.
I have read that we should use singular verb with "one of +plural noun+ singular verb" but here dares is ...
- 27
2
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Usage of word "treat" in context of "a party"
Many times I hear people saying, "we want a treat" on the occasion of a person's birthday, for which they mean, "a birthday party".
I am concerned about the use of word "treat" in this context. Is ...
- 87
0
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Can "triage an issue" mean "debug an issue"? [duplicate]
In the context of my office environment (a tech giant), I often see folks using the word triage as a substitute for debugging an issue. Statements like
We are still triaging the issue...
is ...
- 237
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Origin of "even you" without connotations of surprise/insult/praise? (Indian English)
I live in southern India, and I've noticed that in Indian English, the word "even" can be used without indicating surprise, as it does elsewhere.
Some examples:
Even you should be able to ...
- 3,295
31
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What is the origin and extent of the Indian English usage of "only" to emphasize something?
I live in southern India, and for a long time I've been curious about this phenomenon that I've observed.
Indian English uses the word "only" in a special way. It's used to emphasize things. Sort ...
- 3,295