Japa, Eba, Agbero, Other Nigerian Words Enter Oxford Dictionary

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, and, 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.