Indian eggcorn?

[Laurence Horn]

I love "diplomatic impunity", especially as applied to all those cavalier violators of double- (et al.) parking regulations in NYC who sport diplomats' license plates.

LH

On Jan 11, 2012, at 12:25 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:

> The author of the piece is from India or from Bangladesh (I presume this
> is not the British philosopher of the same name--he is a consultant in
> Delhi, but often writes on Bangladeshi issues and on China). It's not
> really an eggcorn so much as the wrong word choice.
>
> http://goo.gl/xwYT2
>> Diplomatic impunity enjoins the host country to allow the diplomat to
>> perform his duties without hindrance.
>
> I am sure, he meant "diplomatic immunity". He certainly has no problem
> using "impunity" in the right context.
>
>> Arrogance and acting with impunity appears to have become the hallmark
>> of the Chinese authorities.
>
> There are only a couple of other minor quirks that make it look like
> Indian English, but mostly it's indistinguishable from other materials
> on international relations.
>
>    VS-)
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org