Based on OED’s website, these words lack a direct translation but are widely used by English speakers to bridge linguistic gaps.
“Sometimes, they do this with enough frequency that the borrowed word eventually becomes part of the vocabulary of their variety of English – a few examples of such loan words are featured in this quarter’s OED update,” the website read.
Words added to the OED included “alamak”, an exclamation expressing emotions such as shock, dismay or outrage, which the dictionary notes can be difficult to translate directly.
The widely used phrase “tapau”, a Cantonese word that refers to taking away or packing up food, has also been included.
Several food-related terms have also been added, reflecting the influence of Malay cuisine such as “ketupat” (first recorded in 1886), which refers to a diamond-shaped rice cake wrapped in woven palm leaves, commonly served with satay or festive meals.
The OED has also recognised words like “mat rempit”, which refers to “a (typically young) man who participates in illegal motorcycle street racing and often performs dangerous stunts”.
Another notable addition is “terror”, which in Malaysian English can mean both “terrible, awful” and “admirable, excellent”, depending on context.
Other Malaysian and Singaporean English words added to OED’s update:
- fish head curry
- half-boiled egg
- kaya
- kaya toast
- nasi lemak
- otak-otak
- steamboat