It's interesting how many more meanings the word "keep" has in Indian English than in British or American English. In the latter two, "keep" means "retain possession of": something that you have remains with you, or remains yours. Another standard usage of "keep" is to suggest a continued state: keep quiet, keep up, keep something safe, etc. We Indians do use "keep" in these senses, of course. But we also use it to mean:
- Hang up. "It was a wrong number, so I kept the phone."
- Put things where they belong. So, for example, "I kept my shoes" would mean I put them wherever I usually store them. Parents and teachers ask kids, "Have you kept all your toys?" when they mean, "Have you put away your toys?"
- Leave something, or set it down. An Indian friend tells me how a British acquaintance was nonplussed when, while getting out of a car, she said he could take his bag or keep it. What she meant was: he could take his bag with him, or leave it in the car. To him, as probably to most speakers of British English, taking the bag (along) would be the same thing as keeping it (with him).
I think the loose Indian usage of "keep" has come about because we use the word synonymously with "रखना":
- मैंने फ़ोन रख दिया
- मैंने जूते रख दिये, बच्चों ने खिलौने रख दिये
- Bag गाडी में रखिए
But "keep" and "रखना" do not always mean the same thing, and don't work the same way in their respective languages.
Lots of words that are correct translations in certain contexts are wrong in others. The same translation does not work all the time (you've probably heard the story of Coca-Cola's Chinese name, and the stories -- some untrue, some half-true, and some true -- of unfortunately named cars).
Any other creative uses of "keep" that I've missed out here?
PS - Got time to kill? Here's a fun blog that features out-of-control translations from English to Chinese. Shows why a beginner's course, dictionaries, and Google Translate are no substitutes for native fluency :)