Def. Pin-glish. For our purpose we will define Pinglish as a particualr variety of 'Pakistani English' which emerges when (a) English words are mixed with words of a Pakistani language (usually, but not solely, Urdu); or (b) an English sentence is constructed through the direct and exact translation of a thought in a Pakistani language and in the syntax of the latter, or vice versa; or (c) formal English is made even more uncomfortably formal by merging with the formality of Urdu idiom; or (d) Words in English and any Pakistani language are purposely and purposefully amalgamated for effect; or (e) any other way in which English is 'Pakistanized'.
A friend sent these to me as examples of Pinglish. Supposedly, they are examples of actual language used in letters and applications of various types. Even if they are not real, they are funny.
A candidate's application:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a 'typist and an accountant–Male or Female'… As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both, I am applying for the post."An employee applied for leave as follows:
"Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave."Student writing to headmaster:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today."Student writing to teacher:
"I am suffering from fever, please declare holiday to the school."Letter to boss, requesting leave:
"As my Mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave."Opening line in a letter to a friend:
"I am well here and hope you are also in the same well."
2 very interesting pieces on the evolvement of english in Pakistan.
This article examines some words and the change of their effective meanings in Pakistan
"Vocabulary
* Affectee: in desi English this means 'someone affected', but it is not to be found in the dictionary (English dictionary, that is).
* Flying coach: local coinage meaning 'very fast coach'.
* Hotel: it refers to an eatery as well as to any place meant for boarding and lodging.
* Broad-minded: in standard English, it refers to behaviour regarding sex, but in 'Pinglish' it means 'somebody who is willing to accept different norms and is adaptable'.
* Cheater: used in colloquial Urdu (and local 'English', too) instead of 'cheat'.
* Driver: the use of 'driver' instead of chauffeur is fairly common.
* Bearer: a waiter.
* Boot: a shoe.
* Cent percent: used instead of 'a hundred per cent' ('per' and 'cent' are put together).
* Conveyance: transportation
* Moot: used by some local newspapers instead of 'meeting'.
* Nook and corner: instead of 'nook and cranny'.
* Opticals: used in place of 'eye glasses'.
* Tubelight: fluorescent tube.
* Thrice: not considered obsolete and is still used to say 'three times'.
* Nullah: ravine; usually buses fall into 'nullahs' and 'khuds'.
* Urad: lentil.
* Moong: ditto; read market intelligence published in local English newspaper to find (more) such words.
* Dacoit: a robber, perhaps from Urdu dakait.
* Cutpiece: a small, leftover piece of cloth; a local coinage.
* Jack: influence.* Source: ditto.
* Eveninger: an evening newspaper.
* On seat: instead of 'in seat', implying 'not in the office', perhaps a literal translation of Urdu's seat pur nahin hay.
* Diggy: the trunk of a car.
* Mudguard: the fender of a car or motorbike.
* Gherao: In 'Engdu', it means 'a sort of demonstration where protesters surround some person or building. Some newspapers use its 'past tense' even, that is, interestingly, 'gheraoed'.
* Black money: refers to money amassed through unfair means; another local usage, perhaps a literal translation of kala dhan.
* Colony: forget colonialism and imperialism; in 'Pinglish' this refers to a large area comprising of residential blocks, for instance: Jinnah Colony, People's Colony, Shah Faisal Colony, etc.
* Goonda: hooligan.
* Airdash: officials never travel by air nor do they rush to a place, they always 'airdash'; and they don't care if this word exists in the English dictionary or not.
* Ticket: also used to say 'stamp'.
* Healthy: means 'fat' (not a healthy idea, of course).
* Toast: a slice of bread whether toasted or not.
* Lathi-charge: in 'Urdish', this refers to the use of batons by police, usually to disperse a disorderly crowd. Lathi is, of course, a desi word meaning 'a heavy stick' and the 'charge' is English. The past tense is 'lathi-charged'.
* Kutcha: made of mud or clay, for example, a kutcha road, a kutcha house. Antonym is pucca.
* Demise: death; (not considered formal or pompous).
* Felicitate: to congratulate; (ditto).
* Peon: the dictionary says peon means a day-labourer; in India it meant a foot-soldier. But now, in Pakistan and India, it means 'a messenger or office boy'.
* Allottee: a person allotted something, specially property.
* Lakh/lac: a hundred thousand. in tanzania peti lol
* Crore: a hundred lakh; ten million.
* Godown: a warehouse.
* Eve-teasing: sexual harassment.
* Double-roti: bun or bread; and don't mind if it is 'single'.
* Miscreant: in 'Pinglish', not considered dated.
* Challan: ticket for a traffic offence.
Idioms
* Keep fast: instead of 'fast'; literal translation from Urdu.
* Give exam: instead of 'take exam'; ditto.
* Ten, ten times: literal translation of dus dus baar.
* New, new things: literal translation from Urdu involving repetition of adjectives, such as 'big, big cars'.
Grammar
* There is a general tendency towards using the Present Progressive instead of the Present Simple: 'I am not knowing' instead of 'I don't know'; 'I am thinking' instead of 'I think' and 'We should not be doing this' instead of 'we should not do this'.
* Another trend or deviation is to use the Present Progressive instead of the Present Perfect Progressive: 'I am waiting since morning', instead of 'I have been...'
Other deviations:
* 'I think so that...' instead of 'I think...'.
* 'What is your good name'? this may sound strange to the native ears since this is literal translation of Ism-i-sharif in Urdu.
* Similarly 'How is your good self?' has a ring of Urdu. Perhaps mizaj sharif translated."
These articles and pics furthur looks into the Pinglish dilema.
6 comments:
This is HILARIOUS!! And so true. My bhabi just asked me a few days ago, has anyone asked you "What is your good name?" And I was telling her that was odd. The guy was Indian and that's how you just ask someone their name.
lol.
Someone I know asked another person the same thing. The person being asked had always been in Canada so he never knew what the whole " Good Name" jazz means. He just had the most confused look on his face which said it all while I laughed secretly inside ( not laughing at anybody in particular but at the humour in the situation). :).
You know what's funnier? My bhabi is Hyderabadi. Anyhow, she's lived in America her whole life. She went to India or Pakistan and was with her cousins. They were getting in the car to go somewhere and one of her cousins was trying to ask if there was room in that car. My bhabi wanted to say "There's no room in the car." So she translated backwards and went "Garri mein KAMRA nahi hai."
So her cousins started laughing and they don't let her forget to this day. Neither do I. KAMRA?! Instead of Jagga?
ROFL!!!! :P
Hahaha. This is great. I love stuff like this for a good laugh. Jazakallah Khairan. Please Keep me in your du'aa.
hahhaaa....jokes! yea, "good" name?!?! I would ask them, as opposed to my bad name?!
Jazaks for sharing!
lol @ tajjed! and the picture on your profile makes a lot more sense now :P
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