I've watched a couple of movies made in or about India filmed in native language(s) with subtitles.
I also listen to the audio and something I've noticed is that they'll be speaking in whatever language (Tamil? Hindi?) and randomly insert phrases or whole sentences of perfect English.
I'm guessing this is because there isn't a comparable phrase in whatever language they're speaking but I'm wondering: Is this how they actually speak or is this something that only happens in movies?
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
August 17, 2022, 06:28 AM
rsbolo
I play tennis with some gentlemen from India. I noticed that as they speak to each other in Tamil they insert english phrases as well. When I enquired about it they told me that english and english phrases are so common in India that they are used frequently and without thought.
____________________________ Yes, Para does appreciate humor.
August 17, 2022, 06:41 AM
OttoSig
Most language have “Loan words”
Korean is about 10-15% English words spoken using the Korean alphabet. Doesn’t always sound the same but usually you would be able to tell.
North Korea will not do this as they won’t accept any Western influence, instead they will make up a new word for everything.
It’s especially popular with a lot of younger folks as it’s somewhat cool in a lot of areas of the world to seem like a “stereotypical” American.
Nine years to retirement! Just waiting!
August 17, 2022, 06:54 AM
tigereye313
I have several Mexican coworkers, and when they are speaking Spanish it seems like their conversations shift between Spanish with English phrases thrown in all the time. Granted they are truly bilingual and speak both English and Spanish fluently, but interesting and entertaining none the less.
August 17, 2022, 07:08 AM
PHPaul
Ah. Thanks everyone!
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
August 17, 2022, 07:24 AM
vinnybass
quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig: Most language have “Loan words”
Especially English. We don't even think about the words we use from other languages.
"We're all travelers in this world. From the sweet grass to the packing house. Birth 'til death. We travel between the eternities."
August 17, 2022, 07:48 AM
V-Tail
quote:
Question about language(s) in India
Some of the population speaks fluent scam.
הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
August 17, 2022, 07:54 AM
OttoSig
quote:
Originally posted by vinnybass:
quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig: Most language have “Loan words”
Especially English. We don't even think about the words we use from other languages.
Absolutely, we never think of the etymology when we speak.
Nine years to retirement! Just waiting!
August 17, 2022, 08:42 AM
Tn226
Related. In our office in Brussels, the staff all spoke multiple languages French, German, English, and Dutch. Sometimes a couple more. In one conversation you would hear all of them. They said they spoke the thought in whatever language it occurred to them in. I was amazed.
August 17, 2022, 08:57 AM
P220 Smudge
quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig: Absolutely, we never think of the etymology when we speak.
It’s a minor hobby of mine. I studied anthropology in college, and linguistic anthropology was one of the prerequisite courses I had to take. English is positively loaded with loan words. Large chunks of our language are variously Greek, Latin, German (English being a Germanic language, yes, so it could be argued whether loan word is the proper term, but still), French, and Norse. Generally the old versions of those latter examples, mostly, not what they evolved into later in their homelands. There’s even more besides, but those are the big ones.
Here’s a fun one:
quote:
“Etymology” derives from the Greek word etumos, meaning “true.” Etumologia was the study of words' “true meanings.” This evolved into “etymology” by way of the Old French ethimologie. That's all fairly straightforward, but there are many, many words in the English language that have unexpected and fascinating origins.
So, Greek and French. Wonderful stuff. I wonder what someone from Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or the Norse around 900AD might think to hear us carry on a conversation today. Might be something like the way South Koreans use some American words but pronounce it distinctly Korean, as mentioned earlier. Watch a Korean film and you’ll hear them do it.
______________________________________________ "If the truth shall kill them, let them die.”
Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon.
August 17, 2022, 09:29 AM
BansheeOne
quote:
Originally posted by P220 Smudge: I wonder what someone from Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or the Norse around 900AD might think to hear us carry on a conversation today.
August 17, 2022, 10:15 AM
P220 Smudge
Ha! And there it is! Thanks for posting that.
______________________________________________ "If the truth shall kill them, let them die.”
Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon.
August 17, 2022, 10:29 AM
Jimmo952
There are a lot of languages spoken in India. Well over 120.
Hindi is the official language but not everyone there buys into that.
English seems to be the unofficial common language with most educated people knowing English pretty well.
August 17, 2022, 10:35 AM
PASig
quote:
Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I wonder what someone from Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or the Norse around 900AD might think to hear us carry on a conversation today.
I think it would sound like pure gibberish to each other.
This guy did something with English from three separate eras and it's fascinating:
From Quora:
quote:
Would an Old English speaker, a Middle English speaker, and a Modern English speaker be able to understand each other?
Alex Johnston BA Hons in music theory, technology of music and musicologyAuthor
—Hello, I am a Modern English speaker.
—By God and seint Martyn, I too an Englissh speaker am.
—Super. Lovely to meet you.
—And yow too, god wot.
—Ic cwidde Englisc.
—Eh? Did you get that?
—Pardee, I understounde not.
—Sounded like he said something about ‘English’.
—I wolde prey yow, sire, speak agayn, for certes, I wot not what ye say.
—Ic eom Aeldred.
—Hmm, still not really getting it, old chap.
— Ic ne wát þæt hwilc þu cwiddest.
—Oh, this is going nowhere.
—By god, ye speak trouthe, withouten doute.
—I’m glad you think so. Shall we get a beer?
—Upon my lyf, ye, certes, a cup of ale I wold drinke with thee.
—Cheerio. Weirdo.
—Ay, farwel, brother.
[The Modern English and Middle English speaker leave.]
Originally posted by Jimmo952: There are a lot of languages spoken in India. Well over 120.
Hindi is the official language but not everyone there buys into that.
English seems to be the unofficial common language with most educated people knowing English pretty well.
Yes, every region has a local language. So imagine every state in the US having a different language. They are not separate dialects either, but different languages.
Hindi is sort of a national language but some parts of India do not speak it. A former co-worker from Chennai did not speak it. English is commmon, and every Indian professional I know speaks it. But "Hinglish" accents can be hard to understand if you are not used to it.
The insertion of English words into other languages is common, where they are proper names or there is no translation. You hear it in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. I always liked how Spanish takes English words and says them with a Spanish accent - Transportation is Transportacion (accent on the o). Television is Television (accent on the o). Telephone is Telefono.
Most often this occurs with technical words or inventions that were developed relatively recently.
August 17, 2022, 10:57 AM
tsmccull
quote:
Originally posted by V-Tail:
quote:
Question about language(s) in India
Some of the population speaks fluent scam.
Bob is particularly good at that. He hails from Mumbai.
August 17, 2022, 10:58 AM
OttoSig
quote:
Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
The insertion of English words into other languages is common, where they are proper names or there is no translation. You hear it in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. I always liked how Spanish takes English words and says them with a Spanish accent - Transportation is Transportacion (accent on the o). Television is Television (accent on the o). Telephone is Telefono.
Most often this occurs with technical words or inventions that were developed relatively recently.
I'm not saying your examples are wrong, but those type words are what I was talking about, most likely Transport in Spanish didn't come from transport in English, but rather the latin transportare or transportari , whatever it is. Again, not saying these examples are right, but we assume languages took things from English, where as English, like these other languages took it from Latin a lot of times.
Inventions tend to keep the same phonetics, but we ourselves made television from Greek tel, and French visioun.
Nine years to retirement! Just waiting!
August 17, 2022, 11:47 AM
Jupiter
Before retiring, I was on conference calls with our Indian contract workers in Chennai on a regular basis. Usually, one of the group could speak perfect English. When other members of the Chennai team would chime in to explain an issue or ask a question, we could understand bits and pieces of the conversation. It was always a mix of their native language with a little English mixed in. It was frustrating for our team members here in the U.S.. They seemed to be able to communicate in English much better via chat. That was my preferred method whenever they had direct questions.
When Covid hit, many of these Indian employees worked from home. The background noise went to the next level.
Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
August 17, 2022, 02:31 PM
Johnny 3eagles
A person that speaks three languages is Trilingual.
A person that speaks two languages is Bilingual.
A person that speaks one language is American.
Any dog can be a Guide Dog if you don't care where you're going.
NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER
August 17, 2022, 02:49 PM
swampdog
Linguistics is a fascinating subject. I think that is part of why I absolutely loved the movie Arrival so much. On the surface people might see the cover and be like “oh an alien movie”, when in reality it’s a movie about communication and the science behind it. I’m linking a two part video below. It’s a tour and breakdown of accents across the US. I’ve watched them a few times and find them so interesting.
