Commonwealth English is the set of varieties of the English language used in current and former countries of the Commonwealth. It connotes a mostly similar set of word spellings, punctuation rules and grammatical conventions. The use of English was largely inherited through British colonisation, with limited exceptions. The language forms part of the association's common culture and serves as the medium of inter-Commonwealth relations.[1][2]
The term Commonwealth English is most often interchangeable with British English, but is also used to distinguish between British English and that in the rest of the Commonwealth.[3] Many regions have developed their own local varieties of the language. Its official status varies; in Bangladesh, it lacks any but is widely used, and likewise in Cyprus, it is not official but is used as the lingua franca.[4][5]
Written English in current and former countries of the Commonwealth generally favours British English spelling as opposed to that of American English,[6] with some exceptions, particularly in Canada.[7]
Southern Hemisphere native varieties of English began to develop during the 18th century, with the colonisation of Australasia and South Africa. Australian English and New Zealand English are closely related to each other and share some similarities with South African English. Nonetheless, South African English has unique influences from indigenous African languages, and Dutch influences inherited alongside the evolution of Afrikaans, while New Zealand English has a lot of influences from the Māori language.[8][9]
Canadian English contains elements of British English and American English, as well as many Canadianisms and some French influences. It is the product of several waves of immigration and settlement, from Britain, Ireland, France, the United States, and around the world, over a period of more than two centuries.[10][11]
The mother tongue of Anglo-Indians is English, whilst most Indians speak it as a second language.
In many Commonwealth countries, there exists a relatively small native Anglophone minority amongst a larger population who speak English as a second language; Anglo-Indians speak English as their mother tongue, but it is not the first language of most Indians.[12][13]
In addition to South Africa, a number of Commonwealth countries in Africa have native varieties of English. A community of native English speakers exists in Zimbabwe; the country's dialect bears features of British English, South African English and other Southern Hemisphere varieties of Commonwealth English.[14][15] Also in Southern Africa and with historical influence from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana have their own dialects,[16][17] with smaller native English-speaking populations.[18][19] The same is true of Kenya[20][21] and Uganda in East Africa.[22][23]
Second-language varieties of English in Africa and Asia have often undergone "indigenisation"; that is, each English-speaking community has developed (or is in the process of developing) its own standards of usage, often under the influence of local languages. These dialects are sometimes referred to as New Englishes;[25] most of them inherited non-rhoticity from Southern British English.[26][27][28]
In East Africa, national varieties of English are spoken in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.[20][35][22][36] The modern development of English in Rwanda is closely associated with the post-1994 period. The return of Rwandans who had lived for extended periods in neighbouring countries, particularly Uganda, increased the presence of English in public and institutional life, and provided an important regional input for local English usage.[37][38] English subsequently expanded in domains such as education and administration.[37][39] Rwanda became a Commonwealth country in 2009.[40]
Prior to Togo's admission to the Commonwealth in 2022, foreign minister Robert Dussey said that he expected Commonwealth membership to provide opportunities for Togolese citizens to learn English.[41]
Asia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ceased to be part of the Commonwealth by virtue of being a British territory in 1997. Nonetheless, the English language there still enjoys official status.[42]
Southeast Asian English includes Singapore English, Malaysian English, and Brunei English as well as other varieties in non-Commonwealth countries (such as Indonesian English); it is not only the result of British colonisation but also American colonisation (as in the case of the Philippines) and globalisation. It has interacted with diverse local ecologies, shaping its form, function and status in the region.[51]
↑New Oxford Style Manual. Oxford University Press. 2016.
↑Boberg, Charles (2004) Standard Canadian EnglishArchived 11 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine." In Raymond Hickey. Standards of English: Codified Varieties Around the World. Cambridge University Press. p. 159.
↑Dollinger, Stefan (2008). "New-Dialect Formation in Canada". Benjamins, ISBN9789027231086. p. 25.
↑Boberg, Charles (2010). The English language in Canada: status, history and comparative analysis. Studies in English language. Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press. pp.55–105. ISBN978-0-511-78981-6.
↑Andrews, Robyn (2013). Christmas in Calcutta: Anglo-Indian Stories and Essays. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN978-81-321-1814-5.
↑Schneider, Edgar Werner; Kortmann, Bernd, eds. (2004). A handbook of varieties of English: a multimedia reference tool. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN3110175320. OCLC56880203.
↑Saidu Bangura, 2015 A Roadmap to Sierra Leone English: A Sociohistorical and Ecological Perspective, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, PhD thesis, p. 124, 222, 232-242.
↑"People of Pakistan". Britannica. Retrieved 13 April 2023. With the exception of this educated elite, English is spoken fluently by only a small percentage of the population.
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