Sentence:  From the prevailing colonial perspective, the English of the <WSD>babus</WSD> was error-ridden and characterised by over-elaborate ornateness, and for these ‘transgressions' it became the butt of native-speaker ridicule. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (Originally) a Hindu gentleman employed to work as a clerk for the colonial administration; now, a clerk or low-ranking government official. (from 19th c.)