The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has released its latest quarterly update, featuring a vibrant collection of words from South Africa, highlighting the rich linguistic tapestry of the African continent.
The South African additions reveal a diverse range of expressions, from emotional interjections to terms describing everyday life.
Notably, the interjection "yoh", used to express surprise, wonder, or shock, has been traced back to 1855, with roots in the Afrikaans "jo" and Xhosa "yho" or "yo".
“Yoh in South African English is a cry or exclamation used to express various emotions or reactions, such as surprise, wonder, admiration, shock, or distress,” the OED says in its latest update.
Colloquial phrases
The update also includes "gatvol", also from South Africa, "fed up", and "the hell-in” from Afrikaans, a phrase expressing intense frustration. "Tjoekie", a colloquial term for prison, with origins in Hindi via Afrikaans, also made the cut.
OED says it defines the adjective gatvol as a “slang term describing a person who has had enough; one who is extremely annoyed, unhappy, or bored, especially with a state of affairs that has persisted for a long time.
The hell-in is a colloquial phrase that is used predicatively to talk about someone who is furious or fed up, OED adds.
The legendary Brazilian footballer died in December 2022 aged 82. He is arguably seen as the best footballer in history.
It is modelled after the Afrikaans phrase die hel in, which literally translates to ‘in the hell’—in Afrikaans.
Language in fashion
OED says Seshweshwe and shweshwe have also been added. The words were described as borrowings from Southern South Africa’s Sotho, referring to a type of printed cotton fabric, originally dyed with indigo but now available in various colours.
The fabric prints feature intricate, usually geometric, patterns and are typically used for traditional Southern African clothes or accessories.
Newly added "Zol", a South African term for marijuana, and "moggy" have also been described as someone irrational, and the positive affirmation "sharp-sharp", used as a greeting or compliment, rounds out the South African additions.
This update follows the OED's January addition of 20 Nigerian words, including "japa", "agbero", "Naija", and "suya", reflecting the growing influence of Nigerian Pidgin English and the country's vibrant street culture.
OED says its continuous updates aim to capture the “evolving nature of the English language”, ensuring its “relevance and reflecting the diverse voices that contribute to its richness”.
