Indian English
Set of English language varieties native to India.
Indian English, formally designated as English (India) or en-IN, encompasses the varieties of the English language that developed natively within India. It is used throughout the Republic of India and by the Indian diaspora worldwide. India hosts one of the largest English-speaking populations globally, with English serving as an associate official language alongside Hindi for official government communication, as established by the Official Languages Act, 1963. The language holds official status in eight states and seven union territories, and is an additional official language in five other states and one union territory. English is the sole language of India’s judiciary under Article 348 of the Constitution, which mandates English for all Supreme Court and High Court proceedings; however, the Governor of a state, with the President's consent, may authorize the use of Hindi or other regional languages in High Courts. As for the Supreme Court, any change to allow languages other than English would require a constitutional amendment by Parliament, but Article 348 does not explicitly prohibit the Chief Justice from permitting Hindi—it simply does not address such a scenario. Historically, before the dissolution of the British Empire on the subcontinent, the term Indian English referred to the variety that developed in British India; the terms 'South Asian English' and 'British Indian English' are modern or less common labels, not historical names for the variety.
Following independence from British rule in 1947, English remained an official language of the Dominion of India and later the Republic. After the partition, Pakistani English and Bangladeshi English were recognized as distinct from Indian English. In the 21st century, fewer than 0.1% of Indians—a few hundred thousand—report English as their first language, though roughly 30% of the population can speak it to some degree. The 2001 Census recorded that 12.18% of Indians knew English: about 200,000 as a first language, 86 million as a second, and 39 million as a third. A 2005 India Human Development Survey of 41,554 households found that 72% of men spoke no English, 28% spoke at least some, and 5% spoke it fluently; among women, 83% spoke no English, 17% spoke some, and 3% were fluent. Enrollment in English-medium schools rose by 50% between 2008–09 and 2013–14, from over 15 million to 29 million stud
- First recorded term
- 1696
- Common colonial term
- Anglo-Indian English (from 1860)
- Number of first-language speakers (2011
- 259,678 (0.02% of population)
- Total English speakers (2011 Census)
- 129 million (10.6% of population)
- EF English Proficiency Index rank (2022)
- 52 out of 111 countries, score 496 (moderate proficiency)
- Status
- Associate official language of the Republic of India (Official Languages Act, 1963); sole language of the Supreme Court and High Courts under Article 348, with the Governor of a state, with the Presid
Lore & Background
The English language established a foothold on the Indian subcontinent with the granting of the East India Company charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1600 and the subsequent establishment of trading ports in coastal cities such as Surat, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. English-language public instruction began in the 1830s during the rule of the British East India Company. In 1835, English replaced Persian as the official language of the East India Company. Lord Macaulay played a major role in introducing English and Western concepts into educational ins
Reader's Guide
Indian English is significant as one of the world's largest English-speaking communities, with English serving as the de facto lingua franca among different regions of a multilingual country. After independence in 1947, English remained an official language of the new Dominion of India and later the Republic of India. Attempts were made to declare Hindi the sole national language, but due to protests from Tamil Nadu and other non-Hindi-speaking states, English was temporarily retained for official purposes until at least 1965. Opposition from non-Hindi states remained too strong, and the English Language Amendment Bill declared English an associate language until all non-Hindi states agreed to its being dropped, which has not yet occurred. English continues to be widely used, and is the only reliable means of day-to-day communication between the central government and non-Hindi states. The view of English among many Indians has changed over time: once associated primarily with colonialism, it is now primarily associated with economic progress. Enrollment in English-medium schools increased by 50% between 2008–09 and 2013–14, with the number of students rising from over 15 million to 29 million. Indian English generally uses the Indian numbering system (lakh/crore) and has absorbed idiomatic forms from Indian literary languages and vernaculars, while maintaining general homogeneity in phonetics, vocabulary, and phraseology.
Did You Know?
- The first occurrence of the term 'Indian English' dates from 1696.
- According to the 2011 Census, 129 million Indians (10.6%) spoke English, making it the second-most spoken language in India.
- English is the sole official language of the Judiciary of India unless the state governor or legislature mandates a regional language or the President gives approval.
- Colloquial portmanteau words for Indian English include Indlish (1962), Indiglish (1974), Indenglish (1979), Indglish (1984), Indish (1984), Inglish (1985), and Indianlish (2007).
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