Vocabulary Showcase: 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.
Hindi Words in the English Language
Nirvana - Heavenly spiritual enlightenment
Shampoo - Liquid to wash your hair
Thug - A violent or aggressive person
Veranda - A covered area outside the home to enjoy the garden in the 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
Pajamas - 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 doesn’t 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. I will not pretend that they were freely given, the English Empire were not kind to anyone who was not English, and they were especially unkind to non-Europeans. Basically, we stole everything we took from India.
Wrapping Up
If you enjoy a realistic and truthful look at the English language you might enjoy more of the Vocabulary Showcase, or you can look at the different private English lessons I teach online. Whatever you do though, think of all the Hindi that we think of as everyday English and appreciate the colour and variety it adds.
