The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has welcomed a fresh batch of Nigerian words, reflecting the country's vibrant culture and evolving language. These new entries capture everyday expressions, street slang, and Pidgin English, all of which have gained increasing global recognition.
The updated words are a testament to Nigeria's rich diversity, with influences from various ethnic groups and social trends. Some of the entries have both noun and verb forms, showcasing the flexibility of Nigerian expressions. For example, "japa" and "jand" appear as both nouns and verbs, with accompanying pronunciations designed to aid non-Nigerians looking to learn the terms.
Dr. Kingsley Ugwuanyi, an OED consultant, took to LinkedIn on January 7 to announce the new additions. He explained that the OED editors utilized corpora to identify words that are widely used across Nigeria. Factors such as frequency, usage, age (typically words in use for 10 years or less), and social relevance were considered in selecting the words.
In his LinkedIn post, Ugwuanyi shared, "I had the privilege of not only drafting many of these entries but also providing their pronunciations. When you visit the OED online, you'll hear my voice bringing these words to life."
This update follows a previous addition in 2020, which saw 29 Nigerian terms like "danfo," "okada," "next tomorrow," and "mama put" join the OED.
The 2025 entries now include:
. 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
