Nyama Choma, Chapo, and Mpango wa Kando Among Kenyan Words Added to Oxford English Dictionary

‘Nyama Choma’ is among some of the most common Kenyan words and phrases that have been incorporated in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

Nyama Choma, defined as “meat that is cooked over fire”, is one of 200 new and revised entries from East African English in the latest update of the OED. The words were included in June 2022 as nouns, verbs and adjectives.

OED said the inclusion of the words is due to the popularity of the Swahili language that is common in the East Africa region, and spoken by more than 200 million people globally.

Most of the words are derived from the local vernacular tongues, Swahili and 'Sheng' which OED defines as “a street language blending Swahili with lexical and grammatical elements from English and other languages.”

Other common Kenyan words and phrases added to the dictionary are mpango wa kando, chapo, uhuru, githeri, chang'aa, busaa, come-we-stay, jembe, buibui, sambaza, sheng, collabo, pressed, tarmac, shrub, muratina, kamba, sufuria, merry-go-round, isukuti, jiko, mandazi, mabati, among others.

‘Mpango wa kando’ in OED is defined as sexual relations with someone other than one’s spouse or partner. Others are; shrub (pronounce or write a word in another language in a manner that is influenced by one's mother tongue) and merry-go-round (an informal cooperative savings scheme, typically run by and for women).

2000 other words from across the globe that are not originally British English words have been added to the dictionary.

“The products will not only be tools for finding the meaning of words, but also additional linguistic aids such as comparisons, sentences and other linguistic techniques,” Oxford University Press, East Africa Regional Director John Mwazembam explained.

All the new words will now be accepted internationally in formal interactions including in school settings. The Oxford English Dictionary is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.