South Asian Englishes

Abstract

“South Asian English” (SAE) is a cover term for Englishes in the South Asian region that includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. A conceptualization of SAE is made possible by the historical, linguistic, sociolinguistic, educational, and cultural patterns that exist in the subcontinent. Two varieties of Englishes arose on the subcontinent after the initial contact between the British and the South Asians. The first was the language of the Eurasians of India and Sri Lanka, and the second, the various pidgin varieties on the subcontinent. The pidgin varieties of English arose as contact languages in some parts of South Asia. Hugo Schuchardt identified five subtypes of pidgin English: Butler English in Madras, Pidgin English in Bombay, Boxwallah English in upper India, Chee Chee English, and Baboo English. South Asian Englishes exhibit many common features. These features can be identified at all levels of language organization, phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics/discourse.

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