We Indians are everywhere and so is our influence. We have left our imprints everywhere – food, culture, yoga and even language.
We might have got English as a language from the Brits, but we have made it our own, so much so that numerous Hindi words are regularly included in the Oxford English dictionary!
Here are some of these words that English has adopted as its own with their definitions according to Oxford:
Abhinaya: “(in Indian dance) expressive techniques used to convey a theme, mood, or idea.”
Achcha: “used to express agreement or understanding.”
Bachcha: “a young person.”
Bada: “big or important.”
Bapu: “a father (often as a form of address).”
Bas: “stop; enough.”
Bhindi: “okra.”
Chacha: “uncle (often used as a respectful form of address to a man around the same age as one's father).”
Challan: “an official form or document, such as a receipt, invoice, or summons.”
Chakka jam: “an instance of blockading a road or deliberately creating a traffic jam as a form of protest.”
Chamcha: “an obsequious person.”
Chaudhuri: “the headman of a region; a local chief.”
Chhi-Chhi: “used to express disgust.”
Chuddies: “Short trousers, shorts. Now usually: underwear; underpants.”
Chup: “be quiet! ”
Dadagiri: “intimidating, coercive, or bullying behaviour.”
Desh: “a person's or a people's native land.”
Devi: “a female god. used after the first name of a Hindu woman as a polite way of addressing her.”
Dhaba: “a roadside food stall. ”
Didi: “an older sister or older female cousin (often as a proper name or form of address).”
Diya: “a small cup-shaped oil lamp made of baked clay.”
Gully: “(of water) make gullies or deep channels in (land).”
Jai: “victory! (used as an expression of praise or support, especially in political slogans).”
Jhuggi: “a house, usually made from mud and sheets of iron, that is dirty and in bad condition, and located in a very poor area of a city. ”
Ji: “used with names and titles to show respect.”
Jugaad: “a flexible approach to problem-solving that uses limited resources in an innovative way.”
Maha: “very large or great.”
Mata: “a mother (often used as a respectful form of address for a woman).”
Mirch: “chilli peppers or chilli powder.”
Nagar: “a town, city, or suburb.”
Natak: “drama or dramatic art.”
Nivas: “a place of residence; a house, block of flats, etc.”
Sevak: “a male servant or attendant, especially a male attendant in a temple responsible for performing or assisting with the daily rituals of worship.”
Sevika: “a female servant. a female social worker. ”
Udyog: “a company, especially one involved in manufacturing.”
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