23 Nov 2010
Historically, these great British Isles, where I live, have a habit of being invaded. (Although, thankfully, not for some time.)
The upside to this, of course, along with nice straight roads built by the Romans, is that the English language is a rich and colourful blend of Latin words, Anglo Saxon words and French words.
But that’s not all. The Brits, of course, love to “visit” other countries – whether we’re invited or not. And during the era of British rule in India (1612 – 1947) numerous words of Indian origin entered the English language.
These Indian words came from a variety of languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punajabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Kashmir, Sindhi, and the sacred, ancient language Sanskrit.
And today, over 700 words in the Oxford English dictionary have Indian origin. Here are just a few of them:
Bandanna: From the Hindi word Bandhana meaning to tie.
Bangle: From the Hindi word Bangri meaning glass bracelet.
Bungalow: From the Hindi word Banla meaning “house in the Bengal style” or single story house.
Chit: From the Hindi word Chitthi meaning a slip of paper (used instead of money).
Cot: From the Hindi word Khat meaning portable bed, couch or hammock.
Cummerbund: From the Urdu word Kamar-band meaning waistband.
Cushy: From: the Hindi word Khush meaning happy, easy, pleasant.
Doolally: From the town of Deolali, the location of an army base and sanatorium where soldiers leaving India in the late 19th century were sent before leaving for home. Those that became mentally deranged after contacting a fever, or Tap in Urdu, were said to have gone Doolally Tap.
Guru: A Hindi word meaning spiritual leader or guide, teacher instructor. From the Sanskrit words Guruh meaning weighty, heavy, grave.
Khaki: An Urdu word meaning dusty or dust coloured.
Pundit: From the Hindi word Pandit meaning a learned man. From the Sanskrit word Panditah meaning learned scholar.
Pukka: From the Hindi words Pakka meaning cooked, solid, substantial.
Pyjamas or Pajamas: From the Urdu word payjamah meaning leg garment.
Shampoo: From the Hindi word Champo, meaning to press and massage.
Thug: From the Hindi word Thag meaning a thief or conman and the Sanskirt word Sthaga meaning robber.
Yoga: A Sanskrit word for the union of mind, body and spirit.
Any favourite Indian words? And Chicken Tikka Massala, Tarka Dal, Sag Aloo and Bhindi Bhaji don’t count!
Andy Nattan
Posted at 13:00h, 23 NovemberI don’t have many favourites, but I despise “Pukka”. And now I know what it actually means, I like it even less.
Pukka Pies? That’s a selling point? They’re cooked?
Andy Nattan
Posted at 13:00h, 23 NovemberI don’t have many favourites, but I despise “Pukka”. And now I know what it actually means, I like it even less.
Pukka Pies? That’s a selling point? They’re cooked?
Lorraine
Posted at 13:15h, 23 NovemberLove this, Sarah–especially having visited India recently.
Just thought of one more Anglo-Indian word: Jodphurs–for the signature trousers worn by the people of Jodphur, Rajasthan, adopted by Western polo players.
Lorraine
Posted at 13:15h, 23 NovemberLove this, Sarah–especially having visited India recently.
Just thought of one more Anglo-Indian word: Jodphurs–for the signature trousers worn by the people of Jodphur, Rajasthan, adopted by Western polo players.
Inderpal Kallah
Posted at 12:59h, 03 Decembergot to be “Avatar” or ‘Avtar’ which means incarnation.
And the language of Punjab is Punjabi – keep your updates coming!
Inderpal Kallah
Posted at 12:59h, 03 Decembergot to be “Avatar” or ‘Avtar’ which means incarnation.
And the language of Punjab is Punjabi – keep your updates coming!
Mike
Posted at 10:08h, 19 DecemberGreat article and am amazed by your knowledge about the Indian origin words – well reseached.
Just thought would share a few things that I know.
The word “Tap” is from Marathi and not Urdu.
The language spoken by people from Kashmir is Kashmiri. Just to mention o few more words – “Jungle” from Hindi jangal which means forest and “Loot” from sanskrit Loot – meaning to steal.
Sarah Turner
Posted at 10:24h, 19 DecemberHey Mike
Thanks so much for this. It just shows what a rich and colourful language English is. Albeit one that has swiped a whole bunch of words from other people. Can’t help but feel it must be a complete an utter nightmare to learn if you’re from overseas. 🙂
Mike
Posted at 10:08h, 19 DecemberGreat article and am amazed by your knowledge about the Indian origin words – well reseached.
Just thought would share a few things that I know.
The word “Tap” is from Marathi and not Urdu.
The language spoken by people from Kashmir is Kashmiri. Just to mention o few more words – “Jungle” from Hindi jangal which means forest and “Loot” from sanskrit Loot – meaning to steal.
Sarah Turner
Posted at 10:24h, 19 DecemberHey Mike
Thanks so much for this. It just shows what a rich and colourful language English is. Albeit one that has swiped a whole bunch of words from other people. Can’t help but feel it must be a complete an utter nightmare to learn if you’re from overseas. 🙂
Marco
Posted at 12:53h, 14 OctoberPukka considering its accepted English meaning is more likely to have come from Urdu, where it means first class and genuine.
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Alpa Patel
Posted at 16:51h, 29 NovemberIts Hindi, stolen and plagiarized like many of the conquerors mindset who burnt books, to facilitate the illusion that the East were far more advanced than the concept of the white man being in the image of God and thus said they invented it. Like so many Indian foods, where people will say it is Middle Eastern, Persian, Mogul. But the Moghuls rewrote history as did the Europeans colonialist. They even chipped the noses and lips of the Sphinx as they did not want it to be know that people they deemed inferiors could construct such structures. To this day with laser, hydraulics such structures cannot be created. They even will tell you that the Portuguese brought in chilies to India. When some chilies are only found in India and are indigenous. Know the Brits will tell you they invented Curry. Curry comes from the Indian word Kardhi, meaning soupy gravy, Kedgeree comes from the Indian word Kichiri, Calcutta was name by the Brits when an Indian was asked who cleared the vegetation and a reply was Kal Cotta, meaning It was cut yesterday Kal meaning yesterday, cotta means cut. The Brits could not pronounce some of the words so this explains the nuances brought it. Arm Chair comes from the word Aram Churise. meaning lazy chair. The French and Indians too took the word for trousers derived from Patloon, they call it Pantaloon, a shirt was called Chemise, and the it still called as a Chemis, by the Frech, and Italians, Gym comes from the word Gymkhana, the Greeks will argue they invented it. But Mykahana means place of drink, the Pub. many word if you break them down you can see what language it came from. Latin was derived from Sanskrit one of the oldest languages know to man. Even the names for many medications like Viagra, have Indian roots.
Satis
Posted at 06:43h, 26 MayHope this encourages children to learn their first language. Great work.
Rina Thadani
Posted at 18:49h, 01 JulyVery well written…
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Kathleen A Burns
Posted at 02:06h, 09 SeptemberIsn;t language amazing? I knew about most of these words and the origins are mixed. Many words are from Sanskrit. Since it is the oldest religion and texts, a real craddle of civilization. I didn’t know about desicrating the pyramids, but even the Egyptians did to hide the truth about Hapseput and Akenaten.. I still love the language.
I can’t believe anyone could ever think the Brits (who I love) invented curry or other Indian foods. Just because they love them doesn’t mean they invented them. Like saying Yanks invented Chinese Food. Give credit where credit is due. People just take things and use them. You can’t pin down who invented the stone club or the like. People still think the first written language was cuniform. What do they think Egyptian scribes were doing? The world is am amazing place with all sorts of different people. I love the variety and the language. If only Americans could speak English.
A E Newman
Posted at 09:19h, 04 JanuaryHahaha. I couldn’t care less that Americans (USA as distinct from the continents of the Americas) don’t speak English. Their speech is influenced more by German, Dutch and Jewish.
But it would be nice if they would pull their head in and accept they are not the ‘leaders of the free world’.
For all their over blown self pride, they’re ashamed to admit they have their own, separate and distinct language.
Resist USA cultural colonisation at all costs.
Robert Lowe
Posted at 14:43h, 16 MarchBlighty from Bilyati meaning foreign land in Hindi I think.
j r barden
Posted at 09:14h, 19 AprilAlpa Patel says that Latin is derived from Sanskrit. What rubbish !
Reminds me of the sitcom called Goodness Gracious Me in which one of the characters claimed that everything was invented in India.
Kate Ezor
Posted at 13:00h, 10 SeptemberYeah, all that was.a fascinating post on Indian words as incorporated into the Queen’s English. A little annoyed that the comments end with a diss on America. What the hell? Everything’s going along fine, interesting comment here and there about a word or two, then Bam! “Don’t let yourself be like Americans!!” And as for the free world leader stuff, aw c’mon, that’s some straightforward hyperbole. And anyway, the rest of the world should stop repeating that moniker if they want the conservatives over here to get over themselves.
Andrew Sorrell
Posted at 16:59h, 07 OctoberFunny how a discussion on origins of languages can turn into anti-colonial diatribe. Keep your anger for other forums. (Should be ‘fora’ in Latin but we obviously nicked it and basterdised it 2000 years ago when we invaded them)
Alan McDonald
Posted at 15:03h, 02 JanuaryMany words were in daily use in the Army. I recall puttees, dhobi wallah. cha wallah for person collecting in laundry and making tea. Durba for a large meetings as a few.
Anna Burton
Posted at 07:28h, 03 OctoberIn respone to Alpa Patel: thank you for contributing another fascinating gem to the collection of the origins of the name Calcutta/Kolkata! I was aware of three others, the most common of which is that it’s derived from the Bengali Kalikata, itself a derivation of Kalikshtera – ‘Ground of the goddess Kali.’ Khal, though it sounds similar to Kali the Destroyer Goddess, is Bengali for ‘canal’ and Kolkata is built on a canal. The city used to be known for producing shell lime: in Bengali ‘kali’ also rather confusingly means ‘lime’ and ‘kata’ is ‘burnt shell.’
Also, I’ve lived most of my many years in England and have never heard a British person from any part of these Isles claim the British invented curry! I’m very sorry to hear you’ve had that experience. What utter bunkum.
Per the conversation in general, ‘punch’ – as in beverage not clout – is thought to have come from Sanskrit via Hindi and Urdu. It means ‘five,’ referring to a drink with five ingredients which punch originally had. There are also many words and phrases that used to be part of everyday speech but are dying out: ‘tiffin’ – lunch, ‘peg’ – drink (‘chota peg’ – little drink, ‘burra peg’ – large drink if being specific) ‘dhobi dust’ for washing powder (a dhobi is one who washes clothes, orig. Sanskrit dhavaka), One of the most common was ‘wallah,’ for a seller or merchant, and ‘boxwallah’ which has the same derivation but came to be used to describe rather selfish and greedy financial/corporate types, frequently those with too much control. (British, I hasten to add!) I.e. ‘the boxwallahs in the city will always manage to be alright no matter who’s PM.’ (V S Naipaul wrote wonderfully about the rather different boxwallah culture in India itself.)
Thank you for this very interesting post!
Sumita Singha
Posted at 12:56h, 15 NovemberThere’s entire dictionary about this called Hobson Jobsons! Its quite thick, so imagine the numbers of words derived from Indian origin- the jewel in the crown!
E D Keating
Posted at 16:39h, 12 AprilWhat about ‘blighty’? It derives from the seaport Bilaiti, from where troops embarked for England