The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has broadened its lexicon by incorporating a selection of “untranslatable” words from Southeast Asia, South Africa, and Ireland. The latest update, released in March, introduced 42 loanwords that have no direct English equivalent but have been increasingly used by English speakers, particularly in multilingual communities.
Among the most notable additions was “gigil”, a Tagalog word from the Philippines, describing an overwhelming emotion that manifests as an irresistible urge to clench one’s hands, grit one’s teeth, and pinch or squeeze something deemed extremely cute. The OED defined gigil (pronounced “ghee-gill”) as a feeling “so intense that it gives us the irresistible urge to tightly clench our hands, grit our teeth, and pinch or squeeze whomever or whatever it is we find so adorable.” The term, which dates back to at least 1990, is already widely used in Philippine English.
The dictionary’s editors explained that English speakers frequently borrow words from other languages to fill lexical gaps, particularly when certain concepts do not have a direct English counterpart. “Wouldn’t it be useful for English speakers to have a specific word for sunlight dappling through leaves… Or a word for the action of sitting outside enjoying a beer?” the OED noted in its update, referencing the Japanese term komorebi (describing sunlight filtering through tree leaves) and the Norwegian word utepils (referring to drinking beer outdoors).
The latest additions also included “alamak”, a widely used exclamation in Malaysia and Singapore to express shock or dismay. The exact origin of the term remains uncertain, but it is a staple in colloquial speech across both countries.
Many of the newly added words from Singapore and Malaysia reflected the region’s diverse culinary heritage. These included:
Kaya toast – a popular breakfast dish consisting of toasted bread with kaya, a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves.
Fish head curry – a fusion dish that combines Chinese and South Indian influences, featuring a fish head cooked in a tamarind-based curry.
Steamboat – a hot pot meal where thinly sliced meat, seafood, and vegetables are cooked in a simmering broth.
Otak-otak – a dish of seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled or steamed.
Ketupat – a small rice cake wrapped in woven palm leaves and boiled.
The term “tapau”, derived from Mandarin and Cantonese, was also added to the dictionary. It means to package or wrap up food for takeaway, a common practice in the region.
From the Philippines, “videoke”, the country’s variation of karaoke featuring a scoring system, and “salakot”, a wide-brimmed hat worn by farmers, were also included. Another distinctive Filipino-English term, “terror”, was recognised for its local meaning—referring to a teacher who is particularly strict, harsh, or demanding.
South Africa contributed 11 new words to the update, including expressions related to frustration and anger. These included:
Gatvol – a slang term describing someone who is extremely annoyed or fed up.
The hell-in – a colloquial phrase used to describe a person who is furious.
Meanwhile, the Irish additions to the OED featured eight loanwords, including:
Debs – a formal social event for students, similar to a prom.
Class – a general term of approval, popularised through its frequent use in the Northern Irish sitcom Derry Girls.
One of the most widely discussed words from the update was gigil, which resonated strongly on social media, particularly among those familiar with the overwhelming feeling of cuteness aggression. The OED noted that words like gigil enter the English language through frequent use by bilingual and multilingual speakers, eventually becoming part of their vocabulary.
Danica Salazar, the OED’s executive editor, explained in the update that many languages offer words for emotions, sensations, and cultural experiences that do not have direct equivalents in English. “Sometimes, people who speak English alongside other languages use loanwords with enough frequency that they eventually become part of the vocabulary of their variety of English,” she wrote.
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