‘Moi-moi’, ‘mammy market,’ ‘amala,’ other Nigerian words added to Oxford Dictionary

More than five hundred new words and phrases including ‘DM’, ‘brainfart’, and ‘chug,’ have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The latest update includes additions from across the world, featuring words from West African English, Maltese English, Japanese English and South Korean English.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 349 new senses, 279 words and 31 new additions to unrevised entries.
Words such as ‘DM,’ ‘brainfart’ and ‘chug’ were featured in the new update, while the dictionary editors revised the histories of words, such as ‘troll’, ‘coffee’ and ‘snooker’.
Nigerian entries and expressions, including ‘nyash,’ ‘mammy market,’ ‘amala,’ ‘moi moi’, ‘abeg’, ‘biko’, and ‘Ghana Must Go,’ were among the new words.
In the new update, the word ‘Afrobeats’ was defined as “a style of popular music incorporating elements of West African music and jazz, soul and funk,” while the word “abeg” considered an interjection was used to describe a contextual range of emotions.
“Biko,” an Igbo-derived word, was recognised as an adverb or interjection meaning ‘please,’ while ‘nyash’ refers to a person’s (especially a woman’s) buttocks.
The phrase ‘Ghana Must Go’ defined as ‘a large, zippered bag made of durable plastic with a colourful check pattern, often used for carrying’ was also added to the update.
The term ‘mammy market,’ another new entry, refers to “a market typically run by women, originally found in military barracks but later also in youth service camps and educational institutions.”
Two food items, amala and moi-moi, were also added to the dictionary.
‘Amala’ was defined as “a kind of dough made of yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, typically formed into a ball and served as an accompaniment to other dishes” while ‘moi moi’, was described as “beans ground into a smooth paste, mixed with peppers, onions, dried.”
Other entries such as ‘419,’ ‘abi,’ ‘japa,’ ‘agbero,’ and ‘eba’ also made the list.
The Oxford English Dictionary is updated four times a year to include revisions to existing entries and addition of new words.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

NationWide
Adeniyi seeks expansion of NCS sport as customs police beat MMIA 1-0
The tournament was held under the theme “Fit to Serve, United to Lead.”

Heading 5
NiMet predicts three-day rain, thunderstorms nationwide from Monday
NiMet warned that strong winds could precede thunderstorms.

States
Security agents rescue couple from Edo kidnappers’ den
The police spokesperson noted that the victims were rescued unhurt from their captors.

States
Gunmen invade Niger village, abduct two women, three children
The source stated that the attackers operated for almost hours.

Hot news Home top
Virgin founder Richard Branson blames ‘foolish leaders’ fighting needless wars for rising airfares
Mr Branson stated, “The Iran conflict was completely unnecessary.”

States
Residents lament insecurity in Katsina community
Residents of Funtua, Katsina State, have expressed concern over renewed bandit attacks and prolonged gunfire in parts of the town





