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Dictionary of Indian English

Book cover

India is a land of great diversity. Kerala is about as different from Tamil Nadu as France is from Britain. Yet, we move on, in part thanks to the English language. Over several decades, the language has acquired a unique flavour of its own in the vast and diverse country. People like to call it 'Indian English'; sometimes proudly and sometimes derisively. Indian English is of course not a different language. Yet, we often find that an Oxford or Webster's dictionary is inadequate or incorrect when dealing with certain words or phrases that have changed their meaning or purpose on the Indian soil. And, there are words that are unique to India, such as "prepone," which are not used anywhere else.

Hence, this dictionary. Available for free online (on this page) and for a price in paperback and ebook form.

In the first edition, this Dictionary of Indian English (DoIE) provides a ready reference for around 400 such words and phrases. In a future edition, it will become a full-fledged dictionary. Its time will come because of the fast-spreading pandemic of political correctness and mass stupidity.

FormatStorePrice
PaperbackAmazon$6
EbookAmazon₹70 or $2
Universal link for all stores
https://books2read.com/indian

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Jump to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

aam aadmi, adalat, agarbatti, Agmark, ahimsa, air-dash, almirah, alright, amma anicut, arranged marriage, ashram, auto & ayah.

B

Baapu, Baba, babu, background, backside, badla, bahu, bandh, bandobust, banian, bank holiday, Basmati, bata, batchmate, behen, benami, berth, beta, bhagwan, bhai, bhajan, bhakti, bidi, bike, bits, blade, board exams, bold, Bollywood, bonnet, borewell brinjal, British Raj, broadminded, brokers excuse, bund, bungalow, bunk, bureau & bypoll.

C

capitation fees, capsicum, casteism, casual leave, cent percent, Centre, chaddar, chai, challan, chalta hai, chamcha, chappals, chargesheet, charpoy, chats, checkpost, Chennai, cheri, Chi, Chief Secretary, chit, chor, chota, chowk, chowkidar, chulha, churidar, cinema, clean chit, co-brother, Collector, colony, communal party, convent, cool bar, corporator, country fellow, countrymade, cousin-brother, creche, crore, culturals, cum, curd rice, custodial deaths & cutting chai.

D

dabba, dacoit, dahi, dakshin, dal, dandia, dargah, darshan, Dearness Allowance, departmental store, deposes, desi, devi, dhan, dhania, dharma, dharna, dhobiwallah, dhoti, dias, dickey, disproportionate assets, dissidents, divas, Diwali, doubt, dowry death, drumstick, dry grapes, dupatta & durbar.

E

elaichi, electric trains, Emergency, encounter, English medium, eve-teasing, eveninger, eversilver & eyewash.

F

fair, family-planning operation, fancy store, feni, fidayeen, filter coffee, firang, fishcart, fisherfolk, foot overbridge, foreign hand, foreign-returned, forex reserves, French beard, functionalities & fundas.

G

Gandhian, gangman, ganja, ghat, ghee, gherao, gobar gas, godman, godown, good name, goonda, Government of India Undertaking, grease, greens, gumastha, gumboots, gunny bags, gur, gurka, guru, gutka, guyzer, gyan & gymkhana.

H

hafta, hair fall, half ticket, hall ticket, hamara, handwash, hard, Harijans, havaldar, haveli, hawala, hawaldar head bath, headweight, healthy, heat and dust, high command, hijra, Hindi belt, Hindu rate of growth, Hinduism, Hindus, Hindustan, Hindustani, Hindutva, Hinglish, history sheeter, Holi, hooch, horn OK please, hotel, hukka, hundi & hungama.

I

Iftar, imported Basanti, indefinite fast, Indian Acronyms and Abbreviations, Indian-Made Foreign Liquor, indipop, inmates, innocent divorcee, interaction, intimate, invigilator, iron box, ISI Mark & item number.

J

jaggery, japti, jati, jawan, jeevan, jehadis, ji, jibbah & johad.

K

kabab, kaccha, kajal, kala mirch, kameez, kanjoos, karma karyakartas, khadi, Kharif, kirana, kisan, kitty party, Kollywood, kurta & kuruvai.

L

ladies seat, ladysfinger, lakh, langurs, lathi, lathicharge, laxman rekha, leela, Left parties, LIC policy, License Raj load shedding, log, Lok Adalat & love marriage.

M

maalish, madisaar, Madras Tamil, Madrasi, Maha, maida, maidan, Mallu, mama, mami, management seats, mandi, mantra, mantri, Manu, masala, masti, matrimonials, matter, maulvi, mediamen, medicos, mehndi, mela, memsahib, militants, military hotel, minority community mirchi, miscreants, mixie, mofussil areas, mohajir, mohalla, moral responsibility, morcha, mufti, muhurtam, mundu, munsif, mushaira, music director & mutt.

N

naik, nariyal, national integration, native place, Navratnas, naxalites, naya, near and dear, needful, neta, no encumberances, North Block, North-East, nose cut, NRIs & nullah.

O

official machinery, offs, oil bath, open quota, opticals & other backward classes.

P

Pak, pallu, pan, panchakatcham, panchayat, paneer, paper leak, parallel cinema, pardes, pariah, parlour, Partition, passed out, patta, peon, phenoyl, PIL, PIN code, pindrop silence, plastic cover, pooja, postpaid, prepaid cards, prepone, President's rule, prime accused, pseudosecular, pucca, purana, purdah & pyjama.

Q

qawwali & qila.

R

Rabi, ragging, Raj, Raja, rape, ration shops, regional-aspirations, regularise, reservation, rest house, resume, revert, rickshaw, road roko, roadside Romeos, rosewater, roti, rowdy, rubber & ryots.

S

saas, saathi, sabha, sadhu, saloon, salwar, salwar kameez, samadhi, samba, Sangh Parivar, sanyas, Sardarji, sari, sarkari, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, seat-sharing, seva, shakehand, shakti, shamiana, shanti, sindoor, sleeper, sloka, social justice, soft-corner, South-Block, South-India, speak in English, speed-breaker, Sri standard, starrer, status family, stepney, studio, supari killer swadeshi, swami & Syrian Christians.

T

tainted, tamasha, Tamizh, tanda, tandoori, tantric, tehsildar, tempo, tender coconut, thalaivar, thali, thana, third-front, three-wheelers, tiffin, tiffin-carrier, timepass, tolet, Tollywood, too good, tortoise coil, tribal, trishul & trouser.

U

Udipi hotel _blank, ulta, undertrial, Untouchables, updation, upgradation, upto, Urdu & utsav.

V

vaastu, Vaishya, vakil, vanaspathi, VCD, veg, veshti & vote bank.

W

wallah, wet grinder, wheatish complexion & would-be.

Y

yagna & yatra

Z

zamindar.


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