The words ‘Nyama Choma’ have officially been added to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. It turns out Kenyans are not the only ones who are obsessed with the local delicacy.
The word is among 53 others from local dialects around the world that have been added in the tenth edition of the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (OALD).
“Meat that is cooked over fire” is how the dictionary defines Nyama Choma. Other Luhya words have excitedly found themselves into the Oxford Dictionary’s pages. The include Isikuti, Kayamba, Maasai, Majimbo and Zeze.
Isikuti is defined as “A quick dance with a lot of movement, accompanied by singing and the sound of drums”, while Kayamba is defined as “A flat musical instrument that you shake to make a noise“.
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 school settings.