Hinglish and "innit"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

>From a BBC article about _The Queen's Hinglish_, a new book by Baljinder Mahal:

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6122072.stm
And the dictionary identifies how the ubiquitous "innit" was absorbed
into British Asian speech via "haina" - a Hindi tag phrase, stuck on
the sentences and meaning "is no?".
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That's phrased vaguely enough to suggest that the "innit" tag somehow
originated as a calque from Hindi, rather than what I assume to be the
author's point: that the presence of "haina" in Hindi served as a
template of sorts for South Asians picking up "innit" from other
English speakers. And sure enough, the point was misunderstood by a
couple of readers in the comments section...

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I would query the origin of "innit" as from "haina". My father told me
off for saying innit in the sixties, it is from "isn't it", especially
around Bristol. Check Dirk Robson's books, Krek waiters peak brissle,
and Eurekal.
Dave Gibbs, Weston super Mare, England
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I agree with Dave Gibbs about the origin of "innit". In rural
Gloucestershire I was being corrected by my parents well before 1950
for using innit istead of isn't it.
Les Giles, Great Missenden, Bucks
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--Ben Zimmer

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