Denizhan Alan
What is Hinglish ?
Hinglish is a mix of Hindi (the official language of India) and English (an
associate official language of India) that is spoken by upwards of 350 million
people in urban
areas of India. (India contains, by some accounts, the largest English-speaking
population in the world.)
Hinglish includes English-sounding phrases that have only Hinglish meanings,
such as "badmash" (which means "naughty") and "glassy" ("in need of a drink").
There ‘s some examples about Hinglish. One high-profile example is Pepsi’s
slogan 'Yeh Dil Maange More!' (The heart wants more!), a Hinglish version of its
international “Ask for more!” campaign. We can clearly see Hinglish is a mixture of
English and Hindi. They use both English and Hindi words to describe things. This
situation is a result for Englands colonial politics.
The language Hinglish involves a hybrid mixing of Hindi and English within
conversations, individual sentences and even words. Even though we can say that
Hinglish is a creole that people use for communication and theylearn it from the
beginning.
What is Singlish ?
Singlish, is an English based creole language spoken in Singapore. The
term Singlish is a blend of Singaporean slang(street language) and English and was
first recorded in 1973. As English is one of Singapore's official languages, Singlish is
regarded as having low prestige. The Singaporean government and some
Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard
English. The government has created an annualSpeak Good English Movement to
place emphasis on this. Singlish is also heavily discouraged in the mass media and in
schools. However, such official discouragement and routine censorship are actually
countered by other presentations in mainstream media, including routine usage by
ordinary people in street interviews broadcast on TV and radio on a daily basis, as
well as occasional usage in newspapers.
In 2016, Oxford English Dictionary(OED) announced that it has added 19 new
"Singapore English" items such as "ang moh", "shiok" and "sabo" in both its
online and printed versions. Several Singlish words had previously made it into
the OED's online version, which launched in March 2000. Words such as "Lah" and
"sinseh" were already included in OED's debut, while "kiasu" made it into the online
list in March 2007. Local celebrities were generally pleased for this Singaporean
identity to be recognized on a global level.
The vocabulary of Singlish consists of words originating
from English, Malay, Cantonese, Japanese, Hokkien, Teochew, and Tamil.
Elements of American and Australian slang have come into Singlish through imported
television series and films.
What is West African Pidgin?
The term West African Pidgin English refers to a continuum of English
based pidgins and creoles spoken along the west coast of Africa, particularly in
Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Also known as Guinea Coast Creole English.
There are some examples of West African Pidgin. WAPE is spoken in a
geographical continuum from Gambia to Cameroon (including enclaves in French-
and Portuguese-speaking countries) and in a vertical continuum with WAE [West
African English] at the top. Among the local varieties are Aku in Gambia, Krio in
Sierra Leone, Settler English and Pidgin English in Liberia, Pidgin (English) in
Ghana and Nigeria, and Pidgin (English) or Kamtok in Cameroon. It originates in
16th-century contacts between West Africans and English sailors and traders, and is
therefore as old as so-called 'Modern English.' Some WAPE speakers, especially in
cities, do not speak any traditional African language: it is their sole means of
expression.
Because many of its features are close to those of Creole in the Americas, some
researchers have proposed a family of 'Atlantic creoles' that includes Pidgin in West
Africa, Gullah in the U.S., and the various patois of the Caribbean. However, like
them, and despite its usefulness, vigor, and wide distribution, Pidgin tends to be
regarded as debased English." (Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World
English. Oxford University Press, 2002)
Example, “Me? Put poison for master? Nevertheless!” said the cook, side-
stepping to avoid a heavy blow from the Minister. . . . Why I go kill my master? . . .
Abi my head no correct? And even if to say I de craze why I no go go jump for inside
lagoon instead to kill my master?" (a servant, in [Chinua] Achebe's A Man of the
People, p. 39). (They are talking like me)
West African Pidgin English (PE) as exemplified in the [passage] quoted is spoken
primarily along the West African coast between Sierra Leone and Cameroon. . . . The
type of Pidgin found in literary works by Achebe, [Cyprian] Ekwensi, [Wole] Soyinka,
and some other African writers is not the same as that often referred to as 'trade
jargon,' 'makeshift language,' or 'a language devoid of morphological characteristics.'
PE plays a very important role in West Africa--especially in areas where there is no
other common language.
Which country has the most languages?
Papua New Guinea has about eight million people, but more than
800 languages.
The oldest ones, in the Papuan group, date back tens of thousands of
years.
