Hindi’s colourful influence on the English language

Britain and India have a long history together. As a result of this history, the English language has many Hindi words that we use every day without even thinking about it.

• Nirvana - Heavenly spiritual enlightment

• Shampoo - Liquid to wash your hair

• Thug - A violent or aggressive person

• Veranda - A covered area outside the home to enjoy the garden in shade

• Dungarees - Trousers with a piece attached that covers the chest, and has straps that attach it to the back

• Cummerbund - A sash worn around the waist, often part of a man's wedding clothing

• Pariah - A person widely disliked or hated

• Pyjamas - Clothes we sleep in

• Typhoon - A tropical storm

• Hullabaloo - A lot of noisy fuss

• Doolally - To be 'crazy' or 'insane'

Essentially colonial English men and women living in India adopted these words as the English language had no word for a veranda, and they thought a thug was an excellent description of an aggressive person. If English does not have a word for something, it will 'borrow' from another language. As I write this wearing dungarees with my hair freshly washed with shampoo, I adore the flexibility of the English language, and the colour given to it by Indian words.

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