The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its vocabulary by including several “untranslatable” words from Southeast Asia, offering English speakers new ways to express feelings, reactions, and food culture.
Among the latest additions is “gigil” (pronounced ghee-gill), a word borrowed from the Tagalog language of the Philippines. It describes “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 captures the speechless, overwhelming emotion people often feel when confronted with extreme cuteness—whether it’s a baby nephew or an adorable cat video online.
Another word making its way into the dictionary is “alamak,” a common exclamation in Singapore and Malaysia used to express surprise or outrage.
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In its latest update, the OED noted, “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 dictionary said that people who are bilingual or multilingual often fill such lexical gaps by “borrowing the untranslatable word from another language”. Over time, frequent usage leads to the borrowed word “becoming part of their vocabulary”.
New addition
The majority of the new words from Singapore and Malaysia added to the dictionary are food-related, reflecting the region’s deep-rooted love for its diverse cuisines. These include “kaya toast”, a breakfast dish featuring toasted bread topped with a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves; “fish head curry”, a fusion of Chinese and South Indian flavors where a fish head is cooked in tamarind-based curry; and “steamboat”, a hot pot meal where thin slices of meat and vegetables are cooked in a simmering broth.
{{/usCountry}}The majority of the new words from Singapore and Malaysia added to the dictionary are food-related, reflecting the region’s deep-rooted love for its diverse cuisines. These include “kaya toast”, a breakfast dish featuring toasted bread topped with a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves; “fish head curry”, a fusion of Chinese and South Indian flavors where a fish head is cooked in tamarind-based curry; and “steamboat”, a hot pot meal where thin slices of meat and vegetables are cooked in a simmering broth.
{{/usCountry}}“All this talk of food might inspire one to get a takeaway, or to tapau,” OED said, referencing another new entry derived from Mandarin and Cantonese, meaning “to package, or wrap up, food to take away”.
Additionally, the OED has included more words from the Philippines, such as “videoke”—the country’s version of karaoke featuring a scoring system—and “salakot”, a wide-brimmed hat commonly worn by farmers. Another notable inclusion is “terror”, used locally to describe a teacher who is strict, harsh, or demanding.
The OED, which now has over 600,000 words, remains one of the most comprehensive dictionaries in the English language. Its editors review thousands of word suggestions annually, sourcing them from their own reading, public contributions, and analysis of language trends. The latest update also included words from South Africa and Ireland.