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Hinglish (n): A combination of Hindi (and other Indian languages) and English generally spoken by people who live in urban India. Interestingly, although there are very few self-proclaimed Hinglish speakers, it is a language that is evolving faster than more widely recognized dialects. Observers of this evolution are frequently amused, irritated or upset by the resultant expressions. We, part of a fast-dwindling minority of Indian, first-language English speakers, share our reflections here.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

W is for ...uh... Marriage

The word 'wedding' does not exist in Hinglish. It is replaced by the word 'marriage'. Marriage (not the institution) is a term that has such a firm foundation, that Hinglish-speakers would stare at you blankly if you ever mentioned the word 'wedding'.

Marriage (in Hinglish) has more uses than one would imagine - as in the following examples...

Are you coming to my sister's marriage? (Will you attend my cousin's wedding?) [...an explanation fro the change from sister to cousin will follow in due course]
Have you had your marriage? (Are you married?)
When was your marriage? (When did you marry?)
Where was your marriage function? (Where was the wedding?)
Was it in a marriage hall? (...an architectural monstrosity created primarily to host a wedding or two)

You may notice that all the above examples are questions - a tribute to the efforts of unrelenting Hinglish-speakers who don't really try to hide how inquisitive they are.

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