Oxford online dictionary features 500 ‘Indian’ words

Dec 01, 2010 - SARJU KAUL |

London

THE INDIAN influence on English started from the 16th century and the new Web-version of Oxford English Dictionary, which was launched on Tuesday, features over 500 words linked to India.

Indian influence in English ranges from Brahmin to doosra to mixie and masala.
The 600,000-word dictionary, which has three million quotations, contains Indian-influenced words like kotwal (chief officer of police), godown (a warehouse), tanga (a Goan name for copper and silver coins), toni (a sailing vessel and boat) from the early interaction of English with Indians in the 16th century. The number of words from Indian languages started getting incorporated quickly once East India Company started its rule in India. Bobachee (a male cook) and yatra (a Bengali theatrical festival or entertainment) were used in English from the first half of 18th century. The Indian influence started peaking in 20th-century words with the inclusion of bindaas (bold, independent person), phutphuti (a motorised vehicle), rasta roko (a protest in which road traffic is disrupted by demonstrators), and mixie (food mixer or ble-nder). The OED online includes timelines to show the first appearances of wo-rds and meanings over 1,000 years.
The words can be identified by their associations with other cultures or with subject areas like law, science, or the military.
The influence of Bollywood can also be traced in English too. Masala (a lengthy film musical characterised by predictable themes) and mahurat (an auspicious moment for beginning an enterprise or an inauguration ceremony) have been incorporated into English from the Hindi film industry.
“The OED Online is no longer a resource you approach just for information about a word,” John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said.

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