Indian Englishes in the Twenty-First Century: Unity and Diversity in Lexicon and Morphosyntax

This Element explores the unity and diversity of Indian English in the 21st century, showing a degree of incipient supralocalization and cutting through the typological Indo-Aryan vs. Dravidian divide.

Format: Hardback
Length: 108 pages
Publication date: 21 December 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

English plays a vital role in India's internal and external affairs in the 21st century. However, given India's vast geographical size, dense population, and diverse linguistic heritage, achieving complete uniformity in Indian English (IndE) is unlikely. This Element delves into the unity and diversity of IndE by employing advanced corpus-linguistic and statistical techniques to examine selected lexical and morphosyntactic features that define Indian English in the contemporary era. The findings suggest a gradual emergence of supralocalization, where features extend beyond their original locations, transcending the traditional typological distinction between Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages.

Introduction:
In the 21st century, English holds significant importance in India, serving as a lingua franca for communication across various regions and cultures. While Indian English (IndE) has evolved and adapted to suit the country's unique needs, it is important to acknowledge that its development is not uniform across the entire nation. The country's vast geographical size, diverse population, and linguistic richness contribute to the diversity and complexity of IndE.

Unity and Diversity of Indian English:
IndE exhibits a remarkable blend of unity and diversity, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage and historical influences. Despite its common roots in British English, IndE has developed its own unique set of lexical, grammatical, and phonological features. These features are influenced by various factors, including Indian languages, regional dialects, and cultural traditions.

Supralocalization:
One notable aspect of IndE is the phenomenon of supralocalization, which refers to the spread of features beyond their place of origin. This phenomenon is observed in various aspects of IndE, such as vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. For example, words and phrases from Indian languages, such as Hindi and Tamil, have been incorporated into IndE, and these borrowings have become part of the language's standard vocabulary.

Lexical and Morphosyntactic Features:
To explore the unity and diversity of IndE, this Element focuses on selected lexical and morphosyntactic features that characterize Indian English in the 21st century. These features include loanwords, collocations, and grammatical structures. Loanwords from Indian languages, such as "chai" (tea) and "sabzi" (vegetable), have become commonplace in IndE, while collocations like "cut the cake" and "have a blast" have emerged as popular expressions.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, English fulfills important intra- and international functions in 21st century India. However, the country's size in terms of area, population, and linguistic diversity means that completely uniform developments in Indian English are unlikely. The findings of this Element suggest a degree of incipient supralocalization, where features beyond their place of origin are spreading and transcending the traditional typological Indo-Aryan vs. Dravidian divide. As IndE continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to observe how it continues to adapt and incorporate new elements while maintaining its unique identity.

ISBN-13: 9781009454186