Tuesday 6 June 2017

Don’t speak butler English.

Today’s English
June 6th, 2017

Master : who came here yesterday?
Servant: two boy sir. They Just playing sir. Nothing done sir.
Master: You are telling a lie.
Servant: I telling true sir. Why you blaming me?

The above reply by the servant is a typical example for butler English. 

What’s butler English?
A distinct variety of English with a limited number of Words spoken by the head servants in the households of British people in India before it’s independence is known as butler English, kitchen English, bearer English, baboo English or pidgin.  It’s often spoken by one who doesn’t know the language well and is used along with the words from a local language.  With the absence of prepositions and auxiliaries, butler English is reduced to its bare essentials but always produces amusing results in non-standard stylistic form. Generally vendors selling things to foreigners, Indian tourist guides, domestic servants in the households of IT professionals speak butler English.   Even today many college and school teachers rejoice at the butler English of some students especially while valuing their exam papers. Some common errors leading to butler English are listed below:

How to avoid speaking butler English?
1.Don’t omit ( auxiliary )verbs.

Butler English : How I telling? These people very clever. They planning when you out.
Standard English: How can I tell you? These people are very clever. They are planning when you are out.

2.Don’t omit apostrophe.

Butler English: My father name Ganesh.

Standard English: My father’s name is Ganesh.

3.Don’t forget verb + s in present tense while using third person singular subject.

Butler English: She telling me. She speak good English.
Standard English: She tells me, she speaks English well.

4.Don’t omit prepositions

Butler English: wait 5 minute. Make payment cash.
Standard English: wait for 5 minutes. Make payment in cash.

5.Care for plurality.

Butler English: She know three language. He is having three sister.
Standard English: She knows three languages. He has three sisters.

Funny butler English expressions:
1. I talk, he talk. Why you middle middle talk?

2.(Advice to father): “ Vell, if you wantu study her, then study her. If you wantu marry her, then marry her."

3."Don't talk like that in front of my back"

4."Repeat again please!"

5.“No, No I! don't need chair I can stand eating.”

6."Open the doors of the window, and let the atmosphere come in"

7."You three, both of you kneel down together separately"

8.“principal just now passed away this side.”

9.“Meet me behind the meeting.”

10.A gardener scolding 3 kids: "Both of u three, don't under  stand the tree "!!

1 comment:

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