The Oxford English Dictionary has added “Yahoo boy”, “japa”, “suya”, “agbero” and 16 other Nigerian words to its updated version.
Kingsley Ugwuanyi, a Nigerian consultant for the OED, whose contributions led to the addition of the Nigerian slang, took to X and LinkedIn to express his excitement on Tuesday.
“I’m thrilled to announce that the @OED has officially published its latest updates, featuring an amazing collection of #NigerianEnglish words that beautifully reflect Nigeria’s culture, creativity, and the unique ways we express ourselves as Nigerians. #Nigeria,” Mr Ugwuanyi wrote on X Tuesday evening.
He revealed he not only drafted the majority of the 20 new entries but voiced their pronunciations as well.
“This time, I not only drafted most of the words but also had the incredible opportunity to provide their #pronunciations!,” the man wrote excitedly on X. “So, when you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you’ll hear my #voice bringing these words to life.”
Some of the new Nigerian words added to the Oxford English Dictionary include “419,” a noun defined as fraud, and “Yahoo boy,” a “person who commits fraud on the internet.”
Other words of Nigerian origin added to the Oxford dictionary are “adire,” “abi,” “eba,” “Edo,” and “jand,” which was listed as a noun and verb and sometimes recognised as an adjective, as in “janded accents.”
Japa, a term used to describe Nigerians who emigrated to find greener pastures abroad, also made the updated list in the OED.
The English connoisseur also featured “Yahoo,” “Naija,” “Kanuri,” “Kobo,” “cross-carpet, ” and ”cross-carpeting.”
“Area boy”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a “person (usually a boy or young man), who obtains money or influence by engaging in criminal activity, such as extortion, theft, and drug dealing, often as a member of a street gang.”
“Yarn” means to “tell a story” while “yarn dust” means “to talk nonsense.”
“Suya” is defined as a Nigerian dish “consisting of thinly sliced pieces of spiced meat grilled or roasted on a skewer, usually sold by street vendors and eaten as a snack.”
