The Oxford English Dictionary has refreshed its glossary with several words rooted in Nigerian usage, among them “mammy market,” “nyash,” and “amala.”
The update, published on the OED website on Wednesday as part of its December 2025 release, introduced more than 500 new words, expressions, and grammatical forms into the dictionary.
The latest revision highlights the expanding global footprint of Nigeria’s language, cultural expressions, and food traditions. Alongside the newly recognised terms, the dictionary also incorporated other Nigerian-derived expressions such as “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go,” reflecting everyday speech and social references widely used across the country and beyond.
In addition to Nigerian entries, the update captured popular internet slang including “DM”, “brainfart” and “chug.” Editors also revised more than 1,000 existing entries while delving deeper into the origins and development of familiar words like “troll”, “coffee”, and “snooker.”
The December update drew from different varieties of English spoken around the world, including West African English, Maltese English, Japanese English and South Korean English. OED editors noted that these English varieties are exerting increasing influence on global communication, mirroring cultural exchange and digital connectivity.
Among the additions was “Afrobeats”, described as “a style of popular music incorporating elements of West African music and of jazz, soul, and funk.” The dictionary also explains “abeg” as an interjection used to convey emotions that range from surprise to disbelief or mild frustration, depending on context.
“Biko”, which originates from the Igbo language, is defined as an adverb and interjection used to make polite requests, show agreement, or add urgency, effectively meaning ‘please’. Meanwhile, “nyash” is defined as “a person’s (esp. a woman’s) buttocks; the bottom, the backside.”
This is not the first time Nigerian expressions have been embraced by the Oxford English Dictionary. In January 2025, the lexicon was expanded with 20 Nigerian words and phrases, underscoring the influence of Nigerian English, Pidgin, and urban slang on international vocabulary. Those earlier additions included commonly used expressions such as japa, agbero and eba, a staple dish prepared from cassava flour.
Other entries from the January update included 419, a term associated with internet fraud, and abi, a conversational tag often used to seek confirmation. The most recent update also retained “Ghana Must Go,” the name commonly given to large, chequered plastic bags widely used across West Africa.
The expression traces its origin to the 1983 expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria and is defined as “A large, zippered bag made of durable plastic with a colourful check pattern, often used for carrying one’s…”
The term “mammy market” received recognition as “a market typically run by women, originally found in military barracks but later also in youth service camps and educational institutions.”
In the food category, “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 a dish of Yoruba origin made from blended beans mixed with peppers, onions and other ingredients.
What you should know
The Oxford English Dictionary regularly updates its entries to reflect how English evolves through cultural exchange, migration, and digital communication.
Nigerian English, Pidgin, music, and cuisine have increasingly influenced global language use, especially through pop culture, social media, and diaspora communities. The inclusion of Nigerian-originated words signals formal recognition of everyday expressions long used locally.
These updates also preserve cultural history, linking words like “Ghana Must Go” to specific historical events, while acknowledging how Nigerian food, music and slang now resonate far beyond the country’s borders.
