The Oxford English Dictionary’s latest update includes 11 new words from Malaysian and Singaporean English, reflecting the region’s linguistic influence.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Oxford English Dictionary has added several Malaysian English terms in its latest update. The new entries originate from the Malay language and the Minnan (Hokkien) dialect.
The update contains 11 new words from Singaporean or Malaysian English. This highlights the region’s linguistic influence on global English, according to a statement from dictionary publisher Oxford Languages.
Among the new additions is “agak-agak,” which appears as both a noun and a verb. It refers to approximation or estimation, most frequently used in the context of a particular way of cooking.
Also added is the word “boleh,” an intransitive verb meaning to have the power, ability, or capacity to do something successfully. Hokkien contributions in this update include “jialat,” which describes a difficult or terrible situation.
It originally also carried the sense of something irksome or exhausting. Another Hokkien borrowing is “kaypoh,” which refers to a busybody and can function as a noun, adjective or verb.
Oxford Languages said readers can find more details on updates from Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, South Africa and Ireland in its World English release notes.
