Apologies for top posting. Here's what I think. Most Indians don't really think in English. The flourishes that mark 'elegant language' in the vernacular are subconsciously reflected in the English we use, losing their impact along the way. It's a phenomenon not unique to India- look at English usage in Hong Kong or Kenya.
Cheers Divya Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: Thaths <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:25:14 To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [silk] Why is Indian English so floral? On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Deepa Mohan <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:28 PM, Thaths <[email protected]> wrote: >> So.... why is Indian English so hyper floral? > Advertising copy is hyper floral anywhere! There is some truth in that. However, such gaudy prose is not just restricted to advertising copy. I have also seen many be-jeweled business documents and newsletters in my short professional life in India. And these were equally prevalent in small local businesses and large multi-national corporations. > But we love to dress up > everything with jewellery...we have an inbuilt love for intricate > ornamentation. (now THAT was a good example.) I do love hyper loquaciousness (sp?) in principle (c.f., Wodehouse, P.G.). However, these particular ones are somehow archaic, chintzy and even awkward. > We feel that the kernel, with all that dressing, will become a coconut.... Perhaps all this florid prose is just husk good for being stuffed into mattresses? > I have some friends who specificaly ask me to write such flowery copy for > their brochures. The last time I refused, some copywriter produced such > ludicrous gems, that I don't say no any more! Obviously the florid prose must bring in the "boanee". Why, I wonder. Is there something in the Indian consumer psyche that equates florid prose with quality? Or culture? Thaths -- Homer: Look at these low, low prices on famous brand-name electronics! Bart: Don't be a sap, Dad. These are just crappy knockoffs. Homer: Pfft. I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see it. And look, there's a Magnetbox and Sorny.
