Abeg, biko, amala, nyash and new words, mammy market, and expressions have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary in expanded its lexicon in the growing global influence of these Englishes in the world.
In its latest update, published in December 2025 and rolled into 2026, over 1,000 existing entries were also revised, while editors explored the histories of words such as “troll”, “coffee”, and “snooker”.
The dictionary describes “abeg” as an interjection used to express contextually a range of emotions, such as surprise, exasperation, and disbelief.
Biko”, originally from the Igbo language, is defined as an adverb and interjection used in polite request or agreement, or to add polite emphasis or urgency: ‘please’.”
“Nyash” is defined as “a person’s (esp. a woman’s) buttocks; the bottom, the backside”.
Similarly, “Afrobeats”, defined as “a style of popular music incorporating elements of West African music and of jazz, soul, and funk”, were also included in the new words order.
According to reports, the update includes additions from varieties of English used around the world, including West African English, Maltese English, Japanese English, and South Korean English.
Recall that the Oxford English Dictionary, was expanded its lexicon with 20 Nigerian words and expressions, highlighting the influence of Nigerian English, Pidgin, and street slang on global vocabulary last January.
The additions included everyday terms such as japa, agbero, eba, a staple food made from cassava flour.
Other entries, such as 419, referring to internet fraud, and abi, a common conversational tag, also made the list.
The latest addition also included “Ghana Must Go”, the popular name for the large, chequered plastic bags widely used in West Africa, whose expression traces back to the 1983 mass expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria.
