What is it about?

This chapter is a brief overview of current Indian English slang, based largely on a citation database of over 15,000 records of Indian English extracted from a variety of printed sources. The chapter gives a brief background of Indian English, reviews currently available dictionaries, and provides samples of the slang lexis of Indian English in three sections: (1) borrowed slang, (2) neologisms, and (3) direct loans from Indian languages.

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Why is it important?

Indian English is a major variety of English but, unlike most other varieties, so far its slang lexis has received practically zero scholarly attention. This chapter represents a first step in redressing that imbalance.

Perspectives

My interest in and experience of Indian English slang stem from my own extensive travels throughout the Subcontinent. I hope this article may inspire further academic interest in the slang of Indian English, both historical and contemporary, especially by speakers of the variety, in India and elsewhere.

Dr James Lambert
National Institute of Education

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This page is a summary of: Global English Slang, January 2014, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.4324/9781315857787.
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