By Angela Ukomadu and Paul Carsten
LAGOS/ABUJA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Ask a Nigerian what corrupt
politicians do with public funds and he or she may say, "They
chop it." The Oxford English Dictionary agrees.
Hailing from the streets of Nigeria, "to chop" - meaning to
illicitly make money, and "rub minds" - a synonym for "confer",
are among 29 distinctive aspects of Nigerian English to obtain
pride of place in the august dictionary.
"By taking ownership of English and using it as their own
medium of expression, Nigerians have made, and are continuing to
make, a unique and distinctive contribution to English as a
global language," the dictionary said in notes accompanying its
latest update this month.
One of the major drivers of Nigerian cultural influence
abroad has been its Afropop music which now dominates swathes of
home continent Africa and influenced the work of overseas
artists as big as Drake.
Getting Nigerian English recognised for inclusion has not
been easy, however, according to Nigerian author TJ Benson, who
said his favourite of the new Nigerian terms making it into the
dictionary was "severally", meaning "repeatedly".
"When it (Nigerian English) is being suppressed or we are
being told that there is a better way (of saying something), or
this is what is correct and then this is what is not correct, I
think it affects us and it also demeans us," he told Reuters.
"I think this (recognition) is empowering for lots of us
writers and for everyday people, because at the end of the day
it ties back to identity and how we perceive ourselves and how
we express ourselves."
Another of the unique Nigerian references now in the
dictionary is "okada", which stems from the massive traffic jams
for which megacity Lagos is internationally notorious.
Okada are motorcycle taxis that weave through motionless
cars and are named after the defunct Okada Air airline because
they are often the only way to "fly" through the city.
But okada are the bane of daily commuters such as baker
Dambo Godfrey. "There is no day I go out that I don't see okada
in my path," said Godfrey. "It should not be very difficult
(now) for me to explain to a white man when he is asking what is
an okada - I will say: 'Go and check your English dictionary'."
Godfrey added that the Oxford English Dictionary's embrace
of words from Nigeria, with the world's largest black population
in one country - was only right. "If over 190 million people are
saying one thing, it is something that should be popular."
To check Nigerian entries in the dictionary, click on https://public.oed.com/blog/nigerian-english-release-notes/
Oxford English Dictionary Release Notes for Nigerian English
phrases https://public.oed.com/blog/nigerian-english-release-notes/
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