South African Indian English (or SAIE) is one of the better-known varieties of English in the Linguistics literature. It arose out of a language shift that occurred when Indians were denied full access to the norms of standard English, partly because of the colonial and especially apartheid influences in South African society and education after the arrival of Indians in South Africa in the late 19th century. Language shift means that speakers no longer command their original languages, even though they often express positive sentiments towards them, especially in cultural and religious spheres.