Rise of Hinglish language in India

India is the second-largest English-speaking country in the world. While many people speak different languages, fluency in English is considered socially prestigious and extremely essential for a successful career and upward mobility. But, being fluent in English or any other language requires continual exposure to that language. Until a few years ago, rich and consistent exposure to English was primarily limited to the upper class in urban India. Limited access to the language and an intense desire to become a good English speaker were two major factors that contributed to the growth of the Hinglish language in India.

The Hinglish language is a hybrid mix of Hindi and English languages within conversations, phrases, and even words. It’s spoken by more than 350 million people in urban India. You can find innumerable examples of Hinglish words and phrases from television ads to your daily life and from Bollywood to social networking sites, Hinglish is everywhere. 

In the 1960s, the language started gaining popularity when Shobha De started using a mix of these two languages in her writings. By the beginning of the 21st century, the arrival of various entertainment channels led to an increase in its usage. Now, with the advent of the internet, Hinglish has become more popular and is spoken by people even outside India. Native English speakers are also adding words and phrases of Hindi to their conversations, making this language universal. The usage and popularity of Hinglish can be largely seen in younger generations. They include at least one word of English in every sentence they speak, making themselves modern yet locally grounded.

The Hinglish speaking community has evolved to develop a niche between monolingual Hindi and bilingualism because this language caters to the need for a modern, yet locally grounded language that is also accessible to the masses.