India has the largest English-speaking population in the world! This according to David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, and the author of many books on language, including The Stories of English. On "Lingua Franca," a program on Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National, he mused, "Ten years ago that record was held by the United States, but not any more."
Indian English has a rhythm all its own and Crystal says, "We encountered hundreds of distinctive usages on our travels: phone numbers for calling friends and family are called 'near and dear numbers.' Something that's free of charge is said to be free of cost.' A work surface in a kitchen is called a 'kitchen platform.' And words are also broken in different ways. In New Delhi the signs warn of an approaching 'round about,' the two words are separated by a space. Above a store we read 'super market.' A housing ad offers 'pent houses.' Outside the University in Mumbai is the greeting 'wel-come,' with the two elements separated by a hyphen. A roadside warning reads 'land slide prone area.' And another one says 'over-size vehicles keep left.' I was continually being surprised by distinctive uses of space or hyphens."
* Road In Curve Ahead ('In Curve'; it's about to curve around.) * Landscaping and Beautification * Do Not Litter On Your Expressway * Parking Inside the Lawn is Strictly Prohibited * Do Not Crisscross On Expressway * Speed Breaker Ahead * Overspeeding and Tyre Bursting Cause Accidents * No 2-/3-Wheelers. (2-wheelers is the generic term for motorbikes and scooters; 3-wheelers is the everyday description of auto-rickshaws, and they're not allowed on the motorway.)
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