ndian English varieties developed over three centuries of British colonial presence in South Asia, with English today serving as an official language of government widely used in all settings (including many middle- and upper-class homes) as well as an unofficial lingua franca across the country's many linguistic groups. Indian English in New York spans all five boroughs and many suburbs, cutting across Indian communities that collectively speak over 30 native languages. The largest in the city are in Queens and New Jersey, especially Jersey City and Middlesex and Monroe counties.