Yarn Dust, Japa, and 20 other Nigerian Words Gain Formal Recognition in Oxford English Dictiornay, Now Usable in Education Settings

In a move celebrating linguistic diversity and cultural richness, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has announced the inclusion of several new Nigerian words in its latest update. The fresh entries reflect the vibrancy of everyday Nigerian life, capturing the essence of local street mannerisms and the ever-popular Pidgin English, which has been gaining traction across Africa and beyond.

Reflecting Nigeria's ethnic diversity and demographic variety, the new words highlight the country's rich cultural tapestry. Some of the entries serve dual roles, functioning as both nouns and verbs. For instance, "japa" is listed in the dictionary as both a noun and a verb, as is "jand." This update also brings with it pronunciations, assisting non-Nigerians who are keen on mastering these unique dictions.

The news was shared by Dr. Kingsley Ugwuanyi, an OED consultant, via LinkedIn on Tuesday, January 7. Dr. Ugwuanyi, who also provides vocal support for the dictionary, expressed his excitement about the additions. He mentioned that the OED editors relied on corpora to identify words that are frequently and widely used across Nigeria. "So, the criteria include frequency, widespread use, age (generally words that have been in use for zero to ten years), and the social significance of the words," he explained.

In his LinkedIn post, Dr. Ugwuanyi shared his personal involvement in the project: "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."

This update follows a similar addition in 2020, when OED included 29 entries unique to Nigeria, such as "danfo," "okada," "next tomorrow," and "mama put."

The new words added in 2025 are:

1. 419

2. Abi

3. Adire

4. Agbero

5. Area Boy

6. Cross-carpet / Cross-carpeting

7. Eba

8. Edo

9. Gele

10. Jand (noun)

11. Jand (verb)

12. Janded

13. Japa (noun)

14. Japa (verb)

15. Kanuri

16. Kobo

17. Naija

18. Suya

19. Yahoo

20. Yahoo Boy

21. Yarn Dust

These additions not only enrich the dictionary but also underscore the dynamic nature of language and its ability to evolve with cultural changes.