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By John Ogunsemore
No fewer than 22 Nigerian words have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary in the latest update reflecting the popular influence of Nigeria’s language on the global stage.
World Englishes/Nigerian English Consultant to the OED, Dr Kingsley Ugwuanyi announced the latest update in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.
Ugwuanyi said, “The wait is over! I’m thrilled to announce that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has officially published its latest updates, featuring an amazing collection of Nigerian English words that beautifully reflect Nigeria’s culture, creativity, and the unique ways we express ourselves as Nigerians.”
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The Nigerian scholar disclosed that he helped draft most of the words and provided their pronunciations, noting “When you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you’ll hear my #voice bringing these words to life.”
In the latest update to the popular dictionary, “eba”, “suya”, “agbero”, “419” and 18 other Nigerian words were added.
The 22 new words are:
419
Abi
Adire
Agbero
Area boy
Cross-carpet
Cross-carpeting
Eba
Edo
Gele
Jand (noun)
Jand (verb)
Janded
Japa (noun)
Japa (verb)
Kanuri
Kobo
Naija
Suya
Yahoo
Yahoo boy
Yarn dust
