THE Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has once again expanded its lexicon to reflect the evolving influence of African cultures on the English language. In its latest update, the dictionary includes nine new borrowed words from South Africa, and 20 from Nigeria and Ghana, showcasing a diverse blend of food, slang, music, and cultural practices.
Leading the South African entries is ‘yoh’, a widely used expression in the country. The OED defines it as ‘a cry or exclamation used to express various emotions or reactions, such as surprise, wonder, admiration, shock, or distress’.
As reported by multiple sources and noted in OkayAfrica’s coverage, this addition marks another moment where African vernacular finds recognition on a global linguistic stage.
From galamsey to suya: words rooted in culture
Other South African words now included in the OED are:
- Gatvol – an Afrikaans slang term describing someone who is extremely fed up or annoyed
- Tjoekie – a colloquial Afrikaans word for prison or jail
From Nigeria and Ghana, 20 new additions reflect everyday life, food, technology, and even crime terminology. Nigerian entries include:
- Suya – a spicy meat skewer
- Adire – traditional hand-dyed fabric
- 419, Yahoo, Yahoo boy – terms linked to cyber fraud
Ghana’s contributions feature:
- Banku – a fermented corn and cassava dough dish
- Azonto – a high-energy local dance
- Burger highlife – a music genre shaped by Ghanaian diaspora
- Burger – slang for returnee emigrants
- Galamsey/Galamseyers – illegal mining and those who practise it
The update also includes the broader term ‘West African’, though the OED has drawn criticism for inaccurately classifying Cameroon as part of the region. Cameroon is widely recognised as a Central African country.
The validation question: who gets to define African English?
This latest update comes five years after the OED added 29 words of Nigerian origin to its database. But unlike the buzz that surrounded those earlier inclusions, the current batch has landed with less fanfare—perhaps a sign that African English is no longer viewed as a novelty but part of the linguistic mainstream.
Still, questions remain about the role of Western institutions in validating local language. Writer and linguist Kola Tubosun has long argued that the celebration of such dictionary entries can miss the bigger picture.
In a 2020 interview with OkayAfrica, Tubosun stressed that ‘OED is looking out for English—not Nigerian English.’ He argued for more local efforts to support African language development, including creating homegrown dictionaries, publishing literature in local dialects, and integrating regional language into national education systems.
‘We seem to always wait for foreign validation before doing the right thing,’ he said.
More than just words
Whether seen as celebration or co-optation, the inclusion of these African loanwords in one of the world’s most respected language authorities is a reflection of how deeply African speech has woven itself into the global English vocabulary.
But for many, the focus now is not on whether words like ‘yoh’ or ‘galamsey’ make it into the OED—but on whether Africa can define its own linguistic identity on its own terms.
