The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its lexicon by incorporating a new set of Nigerian words, offering the global community a deeper insight into the country’s vibrant cultural heritage.
These new entries capture the essence of daily life in Nigeria, reflecting the unique street vernacular and Pidgin English phrases that are increasingly gaining traction across Africa and beyond.
The additions celebrate Nigeria’s cultural diversity, spanning ethnic nationalities and different demographics. Among the newly listed words are japa, 419, agbero, abi, area boy, yahoo boy, yahoo, Edo, Kanuri, jand, cross-carpet, kobo, naija, and suya.
Some words serve dual purposes, appearing as both nouns and verbs. For instance, japa is recognised as both a noun and a verb, as is jand. To assist non-Nigerian speakers in mastering the pronunciations, the OED now includes vocal guides alongside the entries.
Dr Kingsley Ugwuanyi, a consultant for OED and a vocal contributor, revealed that the editors relied on language corpora to identify words that are widely and frequently used across Nigeria.
“The criteria include frequency of use, widespread adoption, the word’s age (usually between zero to 10 years), and its social relevance,” he explained.
Sharing his involvement on LinkedIn, Ugwuanyi remarked: “This time, I not only drafted most of the words but also had the incredible opportunity to provide their pronunciations. When you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you’ll hear my voice bringing these words to life.”
This milestone follows a similar update in 2020 when the OED introduced 29 Nigerian-specific entries, including danfo, okada, next tomorrow, and mama put.
The new additions further reinforce the global recognition of Nigeria’s linguistic and cultural contributions.
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