The Hybrid Language Hinglish

Hinglish is a fusion language that blends English words with Hindi Grammar. The language script uses both Hindi and English language alphabets. The word Hinglish itself is derived from both Hindi and English. It is spoken in India, United Kingdom, USA. It was originally the language of non-resident Indians, but with the passage of time and the supremacy of English as a primary language for school education, a generation of Indians now use Hinglish in their day to day lives.

History has shown that language is not a static mode of speech. Over time, vernaculars evolve as various words and phrases pop in and out of style. A “smartphone” would mean nothing to someone 20 years ago. Likewise, you don’t hear people talking about storing beverages in their “icebox” in a party these days. India has recently seen the versatility of its native tongue. Hinglish, a fusion of Hindi and English, has made a name for itself as an emerging language of the world. Hinglish throws English words and phrases into Hindi conversation, forming an amalgam of the two dialects. Hinglish has become a common language among urban centers and younger populations in India. It may not be shocking to see the two languages mixed together, as India is home to some 125 million English speakers.

In the last 30 years, English medium schooling has practically taken over conventional mother tongue-based medium of school language. India is the second-largest English-speaking nation in the world next to the USA alone. This schooling has produced a bunch of new hybrid languages such as Hinglish, Kanglish, Tanglish, Manglish, etc.

These languages are nothing but a combination of English plus their native language. Students who study English at school use it for official purposes only while using their mother tongue every day of their lives. They begin to combine their easy to use English words into their native language.

Hinglish saves time in writing and is thus preferred on social media. It is estimated that approximately 350 million Indians are speaking and writing in this language. It is not officially recognized in India or anywhere else, but is the most preferred language for entertainment and marketing.