Meaning of babuism | Babel Free

Definitions

A malapropism or other erroneous form produced by an Indian speaking English.

countable, uncountable

Examples

“They altered the idiom, but they could say⟳ whatever they wanted to say⟳ quickly; there were none of the babuisms ascribed to them up at the Club.”

“Abandoning its original application, then, let⟳ us use⟳ "babu English," or "babuism," as a general term to mean⟳ discourse in which the speaker (or writer) throws around learned words he does not understand⟳ in order⟳ to create⟳ a favorable impression. Babuism probably has existed and will continue⟳ to exist⟳ in every culture in which there is a learned class of magicians, shamans, priests, teachers, and other professional verbalizers with big vocabularies.”

“This book, written 'with love⟳' and based on Goffin's considerable experience⟳ as manager of first the Bombay Branch and then the whole India operation, was a spirited defence of Indian English as a legitimate form⟳ of the language, which, once it had thrown off its thrall to babuism, would take⟳ its place⟳ on the international stage⟳.”

CEFR level