Nigerians were quite heartbroken following the disqualification of Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart from the Oscars over ‘too much English’.
People were left confused after that event, with American director, Ava Duvernay chipping into the conversation. Nigerians wanted to know what the difference is between American and British English and how it relates to the tone and attitude of Nigerians’ English.
Now, the Oxford dictionary is adding 29 words to their dictionary, saying “Nigerians have made, and are continuing to make, a unique and distinctive contribution to English as a global language,” and went on to share the 29 Nigerian-English words that are now “official.”
Check them out below:
- agric, adj. & n.
- barbing salon, n.
- buka, n.
- bukateria, n.
- chop, v./6
- chop-chop, n./2
- danfo, n.
- to eat money, in eat, v.
- ember months, n.
- flag-off, n.
- to flag off in flag, v.
- gist, n./3
- gist, v./2
- guber, adj.
- Kannywood, n.
- K-leg, n.
- mama put, n.
- next tomorrow, n. & adv.
- non-indigene, adj. & n.
- okada, n.
- to put to bed, in put, v.
- qualitative, adj.
- to rub minds (together) in rub, v./1
- sef, adv.
- send-forth, n.
- severally, adv.
- tokunbo, adj.
- zone, v.
- zoning, n
