All Free. Broken English, is it offensive to you? One of our favorite facets of British English are the beautiful insults that are possible with the proper turn of phrase. I agree with many of the comments that agnostic is … Broken English may be fragmented, incomplete, and/or marked by faulty syntax and inappropriate diction because the speaker's knowledge of the vocabulary isn't as robust as a native speaker. What Is? I am fluent in broken English ! (In fact, a BBC study showed that U.K. citizens find the word "spastic" to be the second most offensive term for disabled people.) 16. Often these patois are popularly considered "broken English", or slang, but cases such as Jamaican Patois are classified with more correctness as a Creole language; in fact, in the Francophone Caribbean the analogous term for local basilectal languages is créole (see also Jamaican English and Jamaican Creole). Surprisingly offensive words. I feel that the term broken English can be offensive if looked at in the wrong light, however it does make sense. "No can do" is a similar phrase that's said to derive from Chinese "broken" English. Synonyms for offensive at Thesaurus.com with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. broken is: ⓘ Click the infinitive to see all available inflections v past p verb, past participle: Verb form used descriptively or to form verbs--for example, "the locked door," "The door has been locked." Most people have no idea that the term uppity has racist connotations when applied to black people in particular. Is the term “tribal knowledge” considered culturally insensitive? Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. Non-native English speakers, or anyone new to a language, will make these kinds of errors in syntax. An 18th century northern English word for someone who only ever seems to complain. But I was wondering if its an offensive term to use. Is there a common category term for polite, offensive, rude, or respectful? offensive - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. Southerners used the term for black people who didn't know their place and that term was usually followed by another racial slur. At its most mild it is a nickname imposed upon a race of people by outsiders based on only the most superficial of traits -- their skincolor. It's not specifically polite, but it's not offensive either; it's __ agnostic. 5. It derives from its association with cerebral palsy, a disease once referred to as "spastic paralysis." Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. There's a reason that the phrase "no can do" sounds like broken English. Despite its negative history, the word is … There may … While the etymology of many words we use today has faded into obscurity, there are some that are more offensive than we can ever imagine. The stigma stems from the word's association with cerebral palsy, a disease that was once referred to as spastic paralysis. While we might use color to describe the physical appearance of a group, the term "redskin" is still charged with stereotypical imagery of peace pipes, broken English and primitive/savage behavior. So, in a bid a further cultural understanding, we’ve decided to put together a list of the […] "Paddy wagons" In modern slang, "paddy wagon" means a police car. 5 persons have voted this message useful. Its supposed to be a light-hearted video and not to be taken seriously. Is there a simple term I can use to reference them, other than "doesn't speak much English" and "non-native English speaker?" An old Irish word for a nosy, prying person who likes to …