Five South African words added to Oxford English Dictionary
JOBURG - 500 words have been added to the dictionary, including a few gems like ‘bae’ and ‘twitterati’, with ‘vape’ being voted as the word of the year.
‘Jeggings’, ‘photobomb’ and ‘for shizzle’ are just a few of the surprising words that have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary during its quarterly update, and even a few South African favourites made the cut.
According to an AFP report 500 words have been added to the dictionary, including a few gems like ‘bae’ and ‘twitterati’, with ‘vape’ being voted as the word of the year – thanks to the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes and vapour smoke.
The best part is that a grand total of five proudly South African terms has been added to the famous book, all which will go down in history.
The words are:
Mahala (adv. and adj.)
Its definition: Free of charge, gratis. The word comes from the Nguni and Sotho languages, and is attested in South African English from 1941.
@lowkey_kwano Aiii Facebook People likes #Mahala Things
— Nantsika (@NasNantsika) June 22, 2015
Home made mani #mahala pic.twitter.com/O2lwV1Lkn7
— Nombuso (@nombusoSithebe) June 22, 2015
Tenderpreneur (n.)
Its definition: A blend of tender and entrepreneur. A South African term for a person in government who abuses their political power and influence to secure government tenders and contracts.
https://twitter.com/LenMagic/status/615385321384099840
A shrewd #TENderpreneur knows a good deal. Check our Polo Vivo ‘R10 Upgrade’ offer at https://t.co/g4QI2VGY9M. pic.twitter.com/h8XU2fhY4j
— VolkswagenSA (@VolkswagenSA) June 25, 2015
Whoonga (n.)
Its definitions: A street drug that has allegedly come into widespread use in South Africa since 2010, as it contains anti-retroviral drugs.
https://twitter.com/ZInhlee_Mchunu/status/586457765297651712
These #drugs are highly addictive and are often linked to criminal and violent behaviour. #Nyaope #Whoonga
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) April 2, 2014
Zef (adv. and adj.)
Its definition: A commonly used South African word for ‘trashy’ and also a counterculture movement.
https://twitter.com/mishellewryght/status/615889581284720640
my #zef heart is satisfied forever ⭐️💜 #dieantwoord was everything I wanted/needed it to be, thank… https://t.co/dYy1NyF071
— Constanza Hepp (@conihepp) June 28, 2015
Click here to check out the OED’s full list of new words that were added in June.
