science

Kanglish

Kanglish is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kanglish rather than just read about it. In short: Kanglish (Kannada: ಕಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ISO 15919: kaṁgliṣ) is a term used to refer to the macaronic language of Kannada and English. It contains words borrowed from both Kannada and English.

Key takeaways

Kanglish belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kanglish to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kanglish from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kanglish (Kannada: ಕಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ISO 15919: kaṁgliṣ) is a term used to refer to the macaronic language of Kannada and English. It contains words borrowed from both Kannada and English. Kanglish began to develop in the mid-1990s.

Etymology The word "Kanglish" is a portmanteau of the names of the two languages Kannada and English, and was first recorded in 1993. Other less common terms are Kannalish (recorded from 2000), Kannadlish (2006), and Kanlish (2009). Kanglish has become an important medium of communication in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Features Kanglish has some distinguishing features with regard to the nature of words borrowed from English. One of this is the addition of the suffix '-u' at the end of the word, as in heart-u, life-u, car-u, etc. Since this is a spoken language, the Kannada is mostly 'ādubhāshe' . It includes the deletion of the 'a' and 'u' suffix for Kannada words, to make pronunciation faster. The phonology of the word is also modified to suit the phonetic structure of Kannada. For example, the word "sir" is usually rendered as sār or sār-u.

Examples Yēn(u) samācāra, sār(u)? What's the matter, sir? Helō, ṭifin (ā/a/i)yitā? Hello, have you had your tiffin (breakfast)? Svalpa mūv māḍi. Just move a bit. Svalpa brēk hāki. Please apply the brake. Yāv(a) mūvi hākid(ā/a)re? Which movie (are they) playing? Yāv(a) ḍākyumeṇṭri nōḍtāidirā? What documentary are you watching? Yēn(u) kel(a)sa māḍtāidirā kampyootar jote, Varḍ-(i)nalli? What work are you doing in Word in the computer?

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kanglish

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kanglish claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kanglish before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kanglish ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kanglish

In research: Kanglish appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kanglish in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kanglish is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Dravidian language stubs, English language, English language stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kanglish outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kanglish in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kanglish means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kanglish out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kanglish in simple terms?

Kanglish (Kannada: ಕಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ISO 15919: kaṁgliṣ) is a term used to refer to the macaronic language of Kannada and English. It contains words borrowed from both Kannada and English.

Why does Kanglish matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kanglish?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kanglish.