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What does ‘gigil’ mean? One of the new words added to Oxford Dictionary
Newly added Philippine words include videoke, a karaoke-like pastime with a scoring system, and salakot, a wide-brimmed, lightweight hat worn by farmers.
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Gigil (pronounced ghee-gill) is among the latest words to be added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Originating from Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, gigil describes what psychologists call cute aggression—an overwhelming urge to clench hands, grit teeth, or squeeze something irresistibly adorable.
The word functions as both a noun and an adjective, as in: “That puppy is making me gigil.”
With a vast collection of 600,000 words, the OED remains one of the most extensive dictionaries in the English-speaking world.
What other words were added?
Alamak, a colloquial exclamation expressing surprise or outrage in Singapore and Malaysia, is another word that has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
The OED, as quoted by the BBC, noted the usefulness of having words for certain experiences, stating: "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?"
According to the OED, bilingual speakers often fill lexical gaps by "borrowing the untranslatable word from another language." Over time, frequent use of these borrowed words leads to their adoption into everyday vocabulary.
Many newly added words from Singapore and Malaysia are related to food, highlighting the strong culinary culture of both nations.
Among these are kaya toast, a breakfast dish made of toasted bread with a jam of coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves; fish head curry, a Chinese and South Indian fusion dish featuring a fish head cooked in tamarind-based curry; and steamboat, a hotpot dish where thinly sliced meat and vegetables are cooked in simmering broth.
The OED also acknowledged the influence of Mandarin and Cantonese with the inclusion of tapau, meaning "to package, or wrap up, food to take away."
From the Philippines, additional newly listed words include videoke, a national pastime similar to karaoke but featuring a scoring system, and salakot, a lightweight, wide-brimmed hat commonly worn by farmers.
The update also features unique Philippine adaptations of existing English words, such as terror, which can refer to a strict, harsh, or demanding teacher.
The OED editors review thousands of word submissions each year, drawing from various sources such as language research, crowdsourced suggestions, and database analysis.
Words and phrases from South Africa and Ireland were also included in the latest OED update.
