The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has added several words of Nigerian origin in its latest update, underscoring the growing global influence of Nigeria’s language, culture, and cuisine.
The December 2025 update, released online on Wednesday, introduced more than 500 new words, phrases, and meanings, including popular internet slang such as “DM,” “brainfart,” and “chug.” In addition, over 1,000 existing entries were revised, with editors tracing the evolving histories of words like “troll,” “coffee,” and “snooker.”
According to the OED, the update reflects the increasing impact of English varieties spoken around the world, including West African, Maltese, Japanese, and South Korean English.
Among the Nigerian additions are commonly used expressions and cultural references such as “nyash,” “mammy market,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go,” alongside popular foods including “amala” and “moi moi.”
The update also recognises “Afrobeats,” defined as a style of popular music that blends elements of West African music with jazz, soul, and funk.
The dictionary explains that “abeg” is an interjection used to convey emotions such as surprise, disbelief, or exasperation, while “biko,” derived from the Igbo language, is used to make polite requests or add emphasis, meaning “please.” “Nyash” is defined as a person’s buttocks, especially a woman’s.
Other notable entries include “Ghana Must Go,” referring to the large checkered plastic bags widely used in West Africa, a term that originated during Nigeria’s 1983 expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants.
“Mammy market” is described as a market, often run by women, that originally emerged in military barracks and later became common in youth service camps and schools.
In the food category, “amala” is defined as a dough made from yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, typically eaten with soup, while “moi moi” is described as a smooth steamed bean paste dish mixed with peppers, onions, and other ingredients, with roots in Yoruba cuisine.