LIST OF NIGERIA WORDS ADDED TO OXFORD DICTIONARY

The Oxford Dictionary recognises Nigerian English as it adds words “Tokunbo,” “Danfo” & “Buka” NEWS

It was especially after the

disqualification of “ Lionheart” from the Oscars foreign feature category that the distinctiveness of Nigerian English made it into the mainstream.

Folks debated on Twitter about how exactly Nigerian English differs from the British or American one, how it carries the peculiar cadence of Nigerians.

And now, the Oxford English Dictionary has recognised Nigerians’ ownership of the English language, and several of our words have made it into the dictionary for the first time.

In a statement released on the dictionary’s website, they wrote that “Nigerians have made, and are continuing to make, a unique and distinctive contribution to English as a global language,” and shared the 29 Nigerian-English words that are now “official.”

They are:

agric

barbing salon

buka

bukateria

chop

chop-chop

danfo

to eat money

ember months

flag-off

to flag off

gist (noun)

gist (verb)

guber

Kannywood

K-leg

mama put

next tomorrow

non-indigene

okada

to put to bed

qualitative

to rub minds

sef

send-forth

severally

tokunbo

zone (verb)

zoning (noun)