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'Sef', 'Chop-Chop' and 'Danfo': 22 Nigerian Words Join the Oxford Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has officially expanded its global glossary by adding 22 popular words and phrases from Nigeria and West Africa.

This update marks a major milestone for "Nigerian English."

For a long time, many people thought our unique expressions were just "broken English."

However, the experts at Oxford University now recognise these words as a formal and creative part of the global language.

The list includes many words we hear every day on the streets of Nigeria.

Some of the most popular additions include Danfo, Sef, Chop-chop, Okada, Tokunbo, among many others.

The dictionary also included terms used across West Africa, such as "mammy wagon" (passenger trucks) and "K-leg" (used to describe either a physical condition or a situation that has gone wrong).

Other interesting additions include "next-rated" for rising stars, "guber" for anything related to a governor, and "non-indigene" to describe someone living outside their home state.

This change shows that the way we speak in Nigeria is respected worldwide.


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