English Vinglish

Understanding the evolution of our language [English].

“I know such English that I will leave the British behind. You see sir, I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English, I can run English, because English is such a funny language.” The most treasured dialogue from our Bollywood legend “Sir Amitabh Bachchan ji” makes it a ‘think-it- over’ subject. 

I would rather not go gravely into the grammatical swivels and faces which English being a phonetic language possess. I guess we have all done our home works pretty well in schools and colleges, so it’s more than singulars- plurals or pronunciations that I am talking about. 

Last evening while returning back from shopping, I heard two friends having a conversation that swept me off my feet; 

1st friend �" I had gone to see ‘Breaking Dawn 2’ with Zaara last night. I went completely bonkers over it. Sneaked outta my house, which was no wonder worth it. (giggling) 

2nd friend �" Really!! It surely would bowl over the crowd. I gotta check it out tonight itself. What sorta direction it has?? 

I was spellbound by the protocol we, the youngsters follow these days. The stature of our verbal and textual communication has changed devastatingly. After giving it mammoth thought, I convinced myself through broadening my vision and realizing our acceptance in the transition from Retro to Zumba, similarly, from ‘authentic literacy’ to the ‘slang world’.

Is English, one of the most renowned languages of the world really funny or are we trying to give it a twist for a smart touch??

“I don’t want to go to the school” was my favorite tag line when I was a kid. Today, my daughter says “I don’t wanna go to the school”. Smart going!! Is it?? Similarly, ‘going to’ has raised its level of smartness to ‘gonna’ and ‘got to’ has adopted ‘gotta’. These acronyms have marked their positions among'st the young faces nowadays. 

‘Dunno what kinda fun it is?’ Is it the accent which makes the urbane go ‘gaga’ over it or is it the style symbol making us go ‘head over heels’ in love with this funny(or may be smart) English?’. If I radiate this entire article in the same whacky and happening ‘slang style’, I might get acclaimed but I vouch to stand apart by being loyal towards my beloved ‘Real English’. 

The moment a young girl utters something like this �" “Heya Guys!! Wass up??The weather is suppa kool”, she becomes a head turner for every person standing around her. She is offered a special attention and falls in the radius of ‘cream crowd’. Would it be the correct thing to say that slang words are taking over intellect in the glam world?? Or should I say that a very constrained percentage of present generation are starving for real growth in literature and its substantial importance? 

Speaking about some of the British and American slangs which have made English an entertaining language, how can Indians be left behind in catching up with something so interesting!!! 

“This outfit is bloody awesome”, when spoken by an American, gets absorbed in a microsecond by an Indian and gains momentum henceforth. 

“He is getting cheesy these days” 

“How do I make up for this goof �" up?” 

“What is in grub tonight?” 

“Who was that knockout with you last evening?” and so many more. 

Let us sit back and memorize whether we were ever taught this mode of literature or have we just proved ourselves as ‘trend followers’ yet again. Apart from what American English is influencing upon us, we are in a run to catch our flight to Britain as well. Some very popular British slang words have ranked their existence too and have won us over like a million other things. 

Absobloodylootely....!!! Bingo...!!! Gotcha...!!! Funny?? No, No, Smart.. umm... 

Quoting with a simple incident, I happened to visit an Indian friend for Diwali dinner who had flown down from the U. K. a few days back. The moment I decorated her house with my small little Diwali token, she exclaimed “Dog’s Bollocks”!!! I was confused for a minute but then cornered it. Soon, arrived her son with a surprise to which she jumped off her chair screaming “WOOT! WOOT!”. Well, after a cuppa (in her language) of coffee, I took her leave. We decided to meet someday for lunch and there it came again, ”Wicked!”. 

While driving back, I raised a question to myself: ‘Are we Indians or British or Americans?’ and silence enveloped me. 

Slang words are the best mode to flaunt even if it is about ‘wooing a girl’ or ‘making the gigs interesting’. No matter how much popularity they gain in the ‘so-called’ smart mob, some of them are still frowned upon when spoken in business meetings, schools and colleges. They don’t have a stand in formal texts and in a wide gamut of such highly respectable and crowned languages of the world which we term as “English”.

Reviews

[Notthatkindof doc]

I like your commentating story. Or as the youth here would say, "I like your write". You've captured we'll a nuance of English language as it intersects with generational gaps. I was once advised on my writing - if someone picks up your book 100 years from now and can't understand you, you're using too much slang.

Keep up the good work.

[Kajal Gulabani]

Thank you very much. The biggest shame remains in the hypocritical times we all live in and with. We speak in slang but want to read proper. Hilarious as it may sound but saddening deep within.

[Clayton Bardwell]

Hi Kajal,

It's three in the morning and I couldn't sleep. Maybe it was because I was pondering this very thing. I am an American from California. I have often wondered why when we all speak English we use different sentence structure and dialect.

Often when I hear an Englishman or an Indian speak I have difficulty understanding them. Heck, when I hear someone from the American South or from the Northeast, say Boston, speak, I can't understand them.

Closer to home, when someone from "South East Los Angeles speaks in Ebonics I hear what their saying but don't have a clue what it means. For instance when they say "word", what the heck does that mean?

It's an interesting topic and I'm glad you brought it up.

[Kajal Gulabani]

Hi ... I totally shake hands with you in this context. It is a deep subject . Every nook and corner of the world is "on a Marathon race' in attaining even the redundant bit of what they think as 'knowledge'. Thanks for your support.

[Clayton Bardwell]

I love your English and your style of writing.

[Kajal Gulabani]

Thanks Sir... smiles!!! I am sure there is a lot I will grasp through your work as well and will thus evolve myself.

[Kajal Gulabani]

'Knowledge is Power".. You are one of the top rated writers in Writer's cafe. Hoping to clutch some from you.

[Rhea]

this is so genuine & awesome.. good job done.. :)

[Kajal Gulabani]

Thank you Rhea..

[Con O'Clast]

Being Irish I think slang is an important part of cultural identity. I love the idea of a language being organic, being able to grow. I mean, that's how language happens! Somebody comes up with a word, it becomes slang and after a while it becomes so entwined in everyday speech that it's just a word. I think what makes a language beautiful are the nuances and subtleties that change and evolve over time. I don't believe language should be constrictive, I think it should be free and liberating. That's my take on it anyway :)

[Kajal Gulabani]

Hi... Agreed but every subject has its pros and cons. Free and liberating language is definitely embraced by the society, but freedom needs to have it's boundaries defined at some periphery. I am more than glad to perceive the other side of the coin,though. Thanks a million...

[Con O'Clast]

I think there's an inherent boundary in language that if you get too free, it stops making sense! I think we're essentially in agreement though, I love structure and grammar and the formalities of English but I also love playing with words, slang and poetic license.

[Hotwater]

Top draw!

*bird*

[Kajal Gulabani]

Thank you so very much..