Code Mixing and Switching in Linguistics

Code can refer to a language, dialect, variety, or style of speech. Code mixing refers to phenomenon where a word from another code is used in the native language, despite the native language having a word for the borrowed concept.

The following is an example of code mixing in Malayalam:

Nee lunch eppozha kazhicha?

(Instead of)

Nee bhakshanam eppozha kazhicha?

Code switching refers to the practice of switching back and forth between two languages or between two dialects or styles of the same language. This phenomenon occurs in spoken communication than in written ones. There are four types of code switching:

                                 i.            Intersentential switching – Switching outside the sentence or clause level, where each sentence or clause is in a different language. Consider the following example in Malayalam and English:

Avanda veettil etthiyattu we will call you.

(For)

We will reach his place and then we will call you.

                               ii.            Intrasentential switching – Switching within the sentence or clause. Consider the following example in Malayalam and English.

Bhakshanam nalla first class aayirinnu.

The food was first class (in taste).

                              iii.            Tag-switching – Switching that involves inserting tag words or set phrases from one language into another. Consider the following example in English and Malayalam:

Their office will be open tomorrow, alle?

Here, alle is a Malayalam tag word for the interrogative set phrase in English, “is it not?”.

                             iv.            Intra-word switching – Switching within a word boundary. For example, bus-u for bus.