Nigerian words ‘Biko’, nyash’, ‘mammy market’, ‘amala’ others added to Oxford Dictionary

Oxford dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary has added several Nigerian-origin words in its latest update, reflecting the growing global influence of the nation’s language, culture and cuisine.

The December 2025 update, released on the OED website on Wednesday, features more than 500 new words, phrases and senses, including internet slang such as “DM”, “brainfart” and “chug”.

Over 1,000 existing entries were also revised, while editors explored the histories of words such as “troll”, “coffee” and “snooker”.

The update includes additions from varieties of English used around the world, including West African English, Maltese English, Japanese English and South Korean English, with OED editors noting the growing global influence of these Englishes.

Among the Nigerian entries are everyday expressions and food items, including “nyash,” “mammy market,” “amala,” “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.”

The update included “Afrobeats”, defined as “a style of popular music incorporating elements of West African music and of jazz, soul, and funk.”

The dictionary describes “abeg” as an interjection used to express contextually a range of emotions, such as surprise, exasperation, disbelief.