{"id":95316,"date":"2026-02-05T10:59:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words"},"modified":"2026-02-05T11:24:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T11:24:30","slug":"oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words","title":{"rendered":"Oxford English Dictionary Adds South African Nigerian Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with more than 20 new words from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana in its latest update for the 2020s.<\/p>\n

The additions include food terms, slang and culturally specific expressions that reflect how English continues to evolve across the African continent.<\/p>\n

Food, fraud and everyday slang<\/b><\/p>\n

Among the Nigerian and West African entries is ewa, a staple food made from cassava, as well as 419, a reference to fraud under the Nigerian criminal code.<\/p>\n

Other new inclusions range from words describing popular street food packaging to terms rooted in music and everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of food,\u201d noted The Africa Report\u2019s Crystal Orderson, highlighting how culinary culture features prominently in the new additions.<\/p>\n

The update also includes words tied to music genres such as highlife and familiar South African expressions like yoh and sharp-sharp.<\/p>\n

Language that moves with culture<\/b><\/p>\n

A Nigerian language expert involved in suggesting entries told interviewers that English is constantly shifting and must accommodate how Africans speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnglish is changing, and how Africans speak needs to be accommodated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that the global dictionary must reflect lived realities. \u201cIf you sit in Malaysia or anywhere in the world, you must be able to look up this word and say, \u2018Yoh, that\u2019s interesting.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The move underscores English\u2019s adaptability, with commentators noting that its dynamism is part of why it remains widely embraced.<\/p>\n

Survival through evolution<\/b><\/p>\n

The discussion also touched on Afrikaans, with speakers reflecting on its ability to evolve and absorb influences over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favourite language is Afrikaans because it\u2019s my own language,\u201d said Clarence Ford, adding that it too has shown the versatility needed to survive.<\/p>\n

As African expressions find their way into one of the world\u2019s most authoritative dictionaries, the message is clear: languages that adapt endure.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with more than 20 new words from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana in its latest update for the 2020s. The additions include food terms, slang and culturally specific expressions that reflect how English continues to evolve across the African continent. Food, fraud and everyday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":95315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-95316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nOxford English Dictionary Adds South African Nigerian Words - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with more than 20 new words from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Oxford English Dictionary Adds South African Nigerian Words\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with more than 20 new words from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-05T10:59:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-05T11:24:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770277762.883487.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Oxford English Dictionary Adds South African Nigerian Words\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-05T10:59:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-05T11:24:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\"},\"wordCount\":326,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770277762.883487.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/oxford-english-dictionary-adds-south-african-nigerian-words\",\"name\":\"Oxford English Dictionary Adds South African Nigerian Words - 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