CONTEXTUALIZATION AND LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE IN INDIAN ENGLISH: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Abstract [English]

This paper explores the distinctiveness of Indian English (IE) as a culturally and linguistically adapted variety of English shaped by India’s socio-cultural context. Moving beyond phonology and grammar, it examines the processes of Indianization through which English has become deeply embedded in Indian cultural, social, and religious practices. Key features of IE, termed Indianisms, are analyzed in terms of lexical, grammatical, and collocational deviations, including contextually-determined and hybrid formations. The study distinguishes between translation-based and shift-based adaptations of Indian linguistic elements into English, highlighting the role of conscious and unconscious transfer in creating culturally specific meanings. Indian English collocations are investigated at both formal and contextual levels, revealing patterns of rank reduction, semantic extension, and culture-bound speech functions. The paper emphasizes that the intelligibility and distinctiveness of IE cannot be fully understood without considering its embeddedness in Indian cultural contexts. By situating IE within a framework of sociolinguistic and cultural analysis, this study provides insights into how a foreign language evolves into a localized, contextually rich variety that both reflects and reinforces the identity and worldview of its users.