The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its lexicon by including new Nigerian words, offering the global community insights into Nigeria’s vibrant cultural heritage.
The additions capture the essence of daily Nigerian life, showcasing popular street expressions and Pidgin English phrases, which are increasingly embraced across Africa and beyond. Representing various ethnic groups and demographics, these entries underline Nigeria’s cultural richness.
Among the new words introduced are “japa,” “419,” “agbero,” “abi,” “area boy,” “yahoo boy,” “yahoo,” “Edo,” “Kanuri,” “cross-carpet,” “kobo,” “naija,” and “suya.”
Some of the words appear as both nouns and verbs. For instance, OED lists “japa” and “jand” in both forms. The entries now include pronunciations to assist non-Nigerians keen on learning these words.
Dr. Kingsley Ugwuanyi, an OED consultant who provided vocal support for the project, explained that the editors used corpora to identify words with significant usage across Nigeria. “So, the criteria include frequency, widespread use, age (generally words that have been in use for zero to 10 years), and the social significance of the words,” he said.
Announcing the list on LinkedIn, Ugwuanyi shared, “This time, I not only drafted most of the words but also had the incredible opportunity to provide their pronunciations. So, when you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you will hear my voice bringing these words to life.”
This development follows a similar update in 2020, when OED incorporated 29 Nigerian words, including “danfo,” “okada,” “next tomorrow,” and “mama put.”
These new entries reaffirm the growing recognition of Nigeria’s linguistic contributions, reflecting its diversity and the social relevance of its expressions.
