By Nathaniel Irobi
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has added a new set of Nigerian words to its diction, giving the global community an opportunity to learn about the country’s rich cultural heritage.
The new words reflect the everyday life of an average Nigerian and the exciting street mannerisms and Pidgin English, which are fast gaining acceptability across Africa and beyond.
Reflecting ethnic nationalities as well as demographics, the new entries also highlight Nigeria’s cultural diversity. Japa, 419, agbero, abi, area boy, yahoo boy, yahoo, Edo, Kanuri, jand, cross-carpet, kobo, naija and suya are among the new words unveiled yesterday.
Some of the entries take both noun and verb forms. For instance, OED takes japa as both a noun and a verb. Jand also comes in both parts of speech. This time, the entries also come with pronunciations to support non-Nigerians who are interested in studying the dictions.
Dr Kingsley Ugwuanyi, who consults for OED and provides vocal support, told The Guardian that the editors used corpora to determine words that are more frequently and widely used across the country.
“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 explained.
Announcing the list on LinkedIn, Ugwuanyi said: “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.” In 2020, OED added 29 entries peculiar to Nigeria, including danfo, okada, next tomorrow and mama put.
