Chinglish

Chinglish is slang for spoken or written English language that is influenced by the Chinese language. In Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong and Guangxi, the term 'Chinglish' refers mainly to Cantonese-influenced English. This term is commonly applied to ungrammatical or nonsensical English in Chinese contexts, and may have pejorative or deprecating connotations. Other terms used to describe the phenomenon include 'Chinese English', 'China English', and 'Sinicized English'. The degree to which a Chinese variety of English exists or can be considered legitimate is disputed. The English word Chinglish is a portmanteau of Chinese and English. The Chinese equivalent is Zhōngshì Yīngyǔ (simplified Chinese: 中式英语; traditional Chinese: 中式英語; literally: 'Chinese-style English'). Chinglish can be compared with other interlanguage varieties of English, such as Britalian (from Italian), Czenglish (from Czech), Denglisch (German), Dunglish (Dutch), Franglais (French),Greeklish (Greek), Runglish (Russian),Spanglish (Spanish), Swenglish (Swedish), Hunglish (Hungarian), Hebglish (Hebrew), Engrish (Japanese), Hinglish (Hindi), Konglish (Korean), Taglish (Tagalog), Bislish (Visayan), Singlish (in Singapore) and Tinglish (Thai). The Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun and adjective. This dictionary cites the earliest recorded usage of Chinglish (noted as a jocular term) in 1957 and of Chinese English in 1857. However, Chinglish has been found to date from as early as 1936, making it one of the earliest portmanteau words for a hybrid variety of English. Other colloquial portmanteau words for Chinese English include: Chenglish (recorded from 1979), Chinlish (1996), Chinenglish (1997), Changlish (2000) and Chinelish (2006). Chinglish commonly refers to a mixture of English with Modern Standard Mandarin, but it occasionally refers to mixtures with Cantonese, Shanghainese and Taiwanese Hokkien. Chinglish contrasts with some related terms. Chinese Pidgin English was a lingua franca that originated in the 17th century. Zhonglish, a term for Chinese influenced by English, is a portmanteau of Zhōngwén (中文; 'Chinese language') and 'English'. Some peculiar Chinese English cannot be labeled Chinglish because it is grammatically correct, and Victor Mair calls this emerging dialect 'Xinhua English or New China News English', based on the Xinhua News Agency. Take for instance, this headline: 'China lodges solemn representation over Japan's permission for Rebiya Kadeer's visit'. This unusual English phrase literally translates the original Chinese tíchū yánzhèng jiāoshè (提出嚴正交涉; 'lodge solemn representation'), combining tíchū 'put forward; raise; pose bring up', yánzhèng 'serious; stern; unyielding; solemn', and jiāoshè 'mutual relations; negotiation; representation'. 'Pure Chinese' is an odd English locution in a Web advertisement: '孔子學院/ CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE/ Teach you pure Chinese.' This Kǒngzǐ Xuéyuàn (孔子學院) is Chinese for the Confucius Institute, but Mair notes that 'pure Chinese' curiously implies 'impure Chinese'.