Please clear me

[Thomas Paul]

Please, please, please do not in any way, shape, or form think that I am making fun of non-native English speakers.
I see this expression, "Please clear me," used quite often in the cert forum. It isn't proper English so I am assuming that it is a direct translation from some other language. My questions: Am I correct that this is a miswording caused by a direct translation from another language? What language or languages do people who use this expression speak? I assume that this means that the person has a question and they would like to be helped in finding an answer. Is that correct?

[R K Singh]

I tried to look the names who have used words like "its not clear to me" OR "still i am not very clear please help me out?"
The names are Indian, like Mahesh or Viji Bahrat.
But I am not able to connect it with any of Indian languages by translating it.
I think writer wants to say that he is not able to get it clearly so help him to clear his doubts.

[vi kam]

I cant think of any direct translation from the 3 indian languages that i know. Although in south india the usage that if they are trying to convey the opposite.. to the effect that if something is not clear .. they say (loosely worded) "its not clear to me" if indeed the person posting is from south india
I can think of the usasge "Please clarify this to me " being used commonly in India
May be the people who used "please clear me" mean somthing else I am relatively new here and i tried to searh for those words and didnt find much..in way of what they mean

[Thomas Paul]

Examples:
https://coderanch.com/t/240958/java-programmer-SCJP/certification/plz-clear-me-plz-waiting
https://coderanch.com/t/321560/java/java/servlet-constructors
https://coderanch.com/forums/
https://coderanch.com/t/109440/Linux-UNIX/Shell-Difference
And lots of others.

[Jim Yingst]

I've often seen "please clear my doubt(s)" (from posters with Indian-seeming names), which seems to mean "please answer my question(s)". "Please clear me" could just be a shortened form of this.

[Don Kiddick]

My bad

[Mark Spritzler]

"Please clear me"
This comes from the monks in Tibet, which means to clear my spiritual self of contaminants that are blurring my judgement. Such as I am blurred on this area, so "please clear me" of my muddled spirit, so that I can think clearly and understand and be spiritually clean and clear.
Mark

[vi kam]

I am inclined to think most of these guys when they say "Please clear me" actually mean "Please Clarify to me". Not a very good way of phrasing it.. but i think thats what they mean.
As to why so many of them say that exact same thing ... :roll: ... hmmm .. interesting..
Or May be they are actually Tibetian and want to cleanse their soul or whatever

[Thomas Paul]

I think vi nailed. It is odd that so many people use this same phrase which is clearly poor English. Is there some English language school in India that is teaching bad English? It just seems strange that the phrase would be common unless it was a direct translation from another language.

[Mapraputa Is]

Maybe they learnt it on JR from each other

[Peter Pol]

You should give these guys a credit for learning English.
You should try to learn their language and you would see it's not easy to lose habits taken from your native language.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Peter Czerniawski:
You should give these guys a credit for learning English.
You should try to learn their language and you would see it's not easy to lose habits taken from your native language.

Please notice the first thing I posted:
Please, please, please do not in any way, shape, or form think that I am making fun of non-native English speakers.
I give enormous credit to anyone who learns English. I have tried and failed to learn a foreign language so I am amazed when I see Indians picking up the language so easily. I am really impressed.
Now as to your second sentence: "...it's not easy to lose habits taken from your native language." Apparently this isn't the case. From what people have said in this thread, this isn't something they are picking up from mistranslating something in from their own language. With that in mind, one wonders where it came from.
Imagine this... you are a Spanish bartender in a toursit bar in Spain. For some reason, a lot of the English speaking patrons are saying in Spanish, "push me a drink," instead of "pour me a drink." Wouldn't you be curious as to why?

[Jim Yingst]

It just seems strange that the phrase would be common unless it was a direct translation from another language.
I view it as just another dialect of English. You've got a large number of people in India using English (or something similar) on a daily basis, as it's a popular choice to bridge gaps in linguistically heterogeneous groups. It may not be many people's first language there, but it's a common second, third, or fourth. And a (somewhat) politically neutral "third party" language can be safer than, say, requiring Tamils, Bengalis, etc. to speak Hindi. So, you've got lotsa people using English, and they develop some local slang expressions which catch on. Not that different from what the US, Australia, etc. have done to their "mother tongue". I expect the Brits have some doubts about the abuses of "their" language inflicted by all the rest of us - but it's not as if the Brits don't have a lot of local dialects already. :roll:
As you suggest Tom, "clear me" could indeed have its roots in another language that's being translated from. But it's also reasonably plausible to me that it's a sort of independently-evolved slang.
[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
So, you've got lotsa people using English, and they develop some local slang expressions which catch on.

That makes sense to me. So to verify that, we need to determine if the people who are using that expression come from the same area of India. Any ideas from our friends from India? Is Jim's sensible explanation actually implemented in the real world?

[Jim Yingst]

So to verify that, we need to determine if the people who are using that expression come from the same area of India.
Not necessarily. If it's something that's propagated among techies, it could easily have spread throughout all India or even to neighboring lands.
Any ideas from our friends from India?
Yeah - where are all the guys who actually do say "clear me" regularly? Speak up, please! We won't bite, we're just curious.
Didn't one of our bartenders have some sort of side project where they'd made world map and they put dots on it to show where all the other bartenders came from? Who was it? We could do something like that to track people who say "clear me".
Is Jim's sensible explanation actually implemented in the real world?
So few of them are, it seems. :roll:
[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]

[San Su]

Jim,
You are right. In my native place (TamilNadu - South India), People often mix English with our native language. "Clear" is very loosely and widely used. If they/we don't understand what other person is talking, we use to say "Clearaa sollu" - meaning "Make it clear" or "Say it clearly". Clear is used very often when we don't understand what other people say or We don't understand something. I dont know where it came from. This "Please clear me" could be a direct translation from the local language mixing with English. People like me, with our poor English, try to communicate as much as possible. So, please bear with us.

[Shura Balaganov]

Thomas Paul: For some reason, a lot of the English speaking patrons are saying in Spanish, "push me a drink," instead of "pour me a drink." Wouldn't you be curious as to why?
Because they want a drink that would give 'em wings?...
Shura

[Jim Yingst]

Jim,
You are right
Always good to hear. If you had not posted, my next theory was that "please clear me" was actually a request for a good decongestant.
People like me, with our poor English, try to communicate as much as possible. So, please bear with us.
We certainly appreciate the effort. I spent a year in Italy as an exchange student; I remember the effort required to understand and to make myself understood. And Italian is probably a lot simpler to learn from English, than are a lot of the other languages we have here on the ranch. So thanks again!

[Sridhar Srikanthan]

Originally posted by Mark Spritzler:
"Please clear me"
This comes from the monks in Tibet, which means to clear my spiritual self of contaminants that are blurring my judgement. Such as I am blurred on this area, so "please clear me" of my muddled spirit, so that I can think clearly and understand and be spiritually clean and clear.
Mark

I have been observing Mark's posts for a long time.
Mark, you have a great sense of humo(u)r. Keep it up
Well,
In India, gone are the days when people used to diligently learn English and its nuances. Now-a-days ( I dont know whether this term is a common English term or I picked it up from my language) people are more interested in learning software languages than the traditional indian languages
You have so much diversity in the whole of Asia. India is no exception , I guess !!!
What with all the languages we have to learn to communicate with people from various parts of the country. In this situation,( I am making a wild guess here), we have to learn to somehow communicate with others even though its only for the sake of it (meaning.... Even people who dont need to learn English fulltime , have to manage with this bits and pieces stuff).
I see that the spoken English of the younger generation in India is being influenced by the American way (previously it used to be British English all the way). The "Wassups" and "cool"'s and "dude"s are catching up.
Sri
[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: Sri Sri ]

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Sankar Subbiah:
In my native place (TamilNadu - South India), People often mix English with our native language. "Clear" is very loosely and widely used.

Great! Thanks! That clears that up!!!

[stephen Kang]

simple joke
how can you call someone who can speak two languages?
: bilingual
how can you call someone who can speak three langauages?
: trilingual
how can you call someone who can speak four languages?
: quadrolingual?
how can you call someone who can speak one language?

: American
i said it's a joke.

[Peter Pol]

Originally posted by stephen Kang:
simple joke
how can you call someone who can speak two languages?
: bilingual
how can you call someone who can speak three langauages?
: trilingual
how can you call someone who can speak four languages?
: quadrolingual?
how can you call someone who can speak one language?

: American
i said it's a joke.

A good one!!!

[Jason Menard]

I was pretty much going to post what Jim said, but I see there's no need. I think maybe a good parallel between the Indian dialect of English, would maybe the Jamaican dialect of English, which is influenced by African languages.

[Anonymous]

"Clear me" is certainly wrong English.
My English is no good either. I expected Thomas to put some my positing in the links below but luckily for me..

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
Examples:
https://coderanch.com/t/240958/java-programmer-SCJP/certification/plz-clear-me-plz-waiting
https://coderanch.com/t/321560/java/java/servlet-constructors
https://coderanch.com/forums/
https://coderanch.com/t/109440/Linux-UNIX/Shell-Difference
And lots of others.

[Pradip Bhat]

I think this 'Clear my mind' comes from Hindi,or to be specific Sanskrit inherited Indian languages(All Indian languages do not directly inherit Sanskrit).Hindi translation of 'Clear my mind'means 'Clarify my doubt'. .
I would traslate 'Please clarify my doubt' equivalent in my language(Marathi)to English as 'Please remove the cobwebs from my mind'

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:

I view it as just another dialect of English. You've got a large number of people in India using English (or something similar) on a daily basis, .....

How do you know so much abt India ...
You are 101% correct.

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
It is odd that so many people use this same phrase which is clearly poor English.

You worry a lot abt English

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Ravish Kumar:

You worry a lot abt English

I never worry! Worry gives wrinkles! I am just curious.

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by stephen Kang:
simple joke
how can you call someone who can speak two languages?
: bilingual
how can you call someone who can speak three langauages?
: trilingual
how can you call someone who can speak four languages?
: quadrolingual?
how can you call someone who can speak one language?

: American
i said it's a joke.

Nice Joke.. . But in reality, I think most americans know atleast 2 languages (Since it is a land of immigrants).

[Anonymous]

ouch..i thought that was right english..so i also started using same lines..

[Jim Yingst]

But in reality, I think most americans know atleast 2 languages (Since it is a land of immigrants).
Not in most cases. First-generation immigrants will know multiple languages; their children however will often have a poor or nonexistent knowledge of the mother tongue, and the grandchildren will often have none. Unless the family makes a special effort to retain the language.
There are certainly exceptions to this - but I think I've decribed the general tendency correctly. "Nation of immigrants" doesn't mean we all just got here - many of us have had plenty of time to forget.
How do you know so much abt India ...
You are 101% correct.
Too bad, I was trying for 110%.
When I was in college I shared a house with an Indian student for a year, who periodically invited groups of his friends over for parties, or invited me to parties his friends were having. I mostly was interested in the food, but ended up talking to a lot of people while I was there. And there's usually no shortage of Indians among my co-workers in jobs I've had since then, or here on the ranch for that matter - so there have been plenty of other opportunities to pick up extra knowledge.
I think this 'Clear my mind' comes from Hindi,or to be specific Sanskrit inherited Indian languages
Thanks! Although now, I'm a little disappointed that my theory about decongestant didn't turn out to be true.

[Mapraputa Is]

I mostly was interested in the food
*Now* there is something truly American...
[Map runs away madly ]

[Sridhar Srikanthan]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
I mostly was interested in the food, but ended up talking to a lot of people while I was there.

Jim,
Coming to Indian food, most of the people here find it to be very spicy and hot. Did u find any difference?
Sri

[Jim Yingst]

Coming to Indian food, most of the people here find it to be very spicy and hot.
Me too (some dishes anyway), but that's a good thing. I enjoy it.
[ February 22, 2003: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
Coming to Indian food, most of the people here find it to be very spicy and hot.
Me too (some dishes anyway), but that's a good thing. I enjoy it.
[ February 22, 2003: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]

I wish your friends are from North India, coz NI has better range of food .... Now even in South India people can easily find Punjabi & Mughlai restaurants.
No doubt some SI dishes are also really good and tasty.
How many of us live to eat rather than eat to live??
just curious..

[David O'Meara]

Originally posted by rahul rege:
Hindi translation of 'Clear my mind' means 'Clarify my doubt'.

Then it doesn't sound like a large jump to go from "Please clear my mind" to "Please clear me (and my mind)"
I wish your friends are from North India, coz NI has better range of food
Off topic, but agreed. My wife was born in North India. Unfortunately she's a bad cook, but I married her for her mum's cooking!

[Axel Janssen]

"please clear me" is wrong?
In german clear and explain have the same semantic root.
Please explain me --> Bitte erkläre mir.
clear water --> klares Wasser.
And isn't there this english expression: looks crystal clear ?

[Jim Yingst]

Axel - yeah, there are various roots in common. But "please clear me" is definitely not a standard form here (US) - if you use it, the only people who will understand you are those who have been around Indians a lot (real or virtual).
I wish your friends are from North India, coz NI has better range of food
The original housemate was from the south but had done university in the north - and most of his home cooking was learned while at school, so it was a mixture of north & south. Friends were from all over the place. And many Indian restaurants in the US are not necessarily "localized" to food from one region, but instead draw from several/many. People periodically tell me where something comes from, but I usually forget afterwards. Generally northern Indian food seems more common in restaurants here, but southern occurs also. Samosas are southern, aren't they? I don't find them in restaurants as often as I'd like, so I conclude that we need more southern food here.
My wife was born in North India. Unfortunately she's a bad cook
This first sentence made me really jealous, but the second made me feel better.

[Sridhar Srikanthan]

Samosas are southern, aren't they? I don't find them in restaurants as often as I'd like, so I conclude that we need more southern food here.

Samosas are not exactly South Indian.
Most of the sea foods are South Indian because India is a peninsula.
Has you any of you tried Hyderabadi Biryani(Hyderabad being a place in South India)
Hyderabadi Biryani is World famous. Try it Jim...you would love it
Sri

[Thomas Paul]

You can clear the air, or clear your mind, or clear the air but you can't clear me!
There is one exception to this, some people use the expression, "Can you clear me to work on the A3000?" This means that you have been trained and approved to work on some pice of equipment.