Adil Najam
A friend sent these to me as examples of Pinglish. Supposedly, they are examples of actual language used in letters and applications of various types. Even if they are not real, they are funny.
A candidate’s application:
“This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ‘typist and an accountant–Male or Female’… As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both, I am applying for the post.”An employee applied for leave as follows:
“Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave.”Student writing to headmaster:
“As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today.”Student writing to teacher:
“I am suffering from fever, please declare holiday to the school.”Letter to boss, requesting leave:
“As my Mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.”Opening line in a letter to a friend:
“I am well here and hope you are also in the same well.”
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Def. Pin-glish. For our purpose we will define Pinglish as a particualr variety of ‘Pakistani English’ which emerges when (a) English words are mixed with words of a Pakistani language (usually, but not solely, Urdu); or (b) an English sentence is constructed through the direct and exact translation of a thought in a Pakistani language and in the syntax of the latter, or vice versa; or (c) formal English is made even more uncomfortably formal by merging with the formality of Urdu idiom; or (d) Words in English and any Pakistani language are purposely and purposefully amalgamated for effect; or (e) any other way in which English is ‘Pakistanized’.
(Repost: Originally posted on June 22, 2006)
I still recall ‘bookaan’ used by one of my school friends as the plural for book.
Some people are used to say ”Saynce” instead ”Science”
and tablaan,madmaan etc
In terms of spoken Pinglish, there are a number of phonetic issues as well. The letter “w” is often confused with the letter “v”. A wheel, for example, is pronounced as a veel. And sometimes veal is pronounced as Weal. Many Pakistanis often have trouble with blends where two consonants appear together without a vowel in between. The word school is often mispronounced as either “Sakool” or “Iskool”, depending on whether your native tongue is Punjabi or Urdu. Then there are issue with putting the accent on the wrong syllable, making it difficult for non-South Asians to understand the spoken words. For example, the word “engineer” usually gets the accent on the wrong syllable.
@ Dear Commenters,
If you really want to enjoy listening Pinglish, just
zapp around all the Pak TV Free or National channels
you can become “Pinglishist ” there are some pearls and
gems !!
No offense to anyone, but believe me, just watch GEO &
Pak Global, Aag, Aaj, Ary etc , Mr. Beans is just nothing !!
I believe we have a lot of pinglish in the development industry too.
GUI-aan bana di hein
Exception-ien handle nahi hui
Class-ien Check-in karo