The Oxford English Dictionary has added “Yahoo boy”, “japa”, “suya”, “agbero” and 16 other Nigerian words to its updated version.
A Nigerian consultant for the OED, Kingsley Ugwuanyi, 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,” “Kanuri,” “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.”
