Oxford Dictionary Gets Adorable: Say Hello to 'Gigil'!

In a lovely surprise, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has adopted the Tagalog term "gigil" as part of its vocabulary, capturing a particular feeling that a lot of people share but had no way to put into words before. Expressed as "ghee-gill," gigil refers to the overwhelming impulse to squeeze or pinch something irresistibly cute—a chubby baby, a fluffy kitten. This word is one of the OED's wider initiative to include "untranslatable" terms from around the world, which captures the depth of human feeling that has no direct English translations.

 

In addition to gigil, other words like "alamak," which is a surprise exclamation from Malaysia and Singapore, have been added. The OED stresses the significance of these additions in filling lexical gaps in English and facilitating speakers' ability to describe certain feelings or experiences.

 

This update has 42 new words, reflecting contributions from Ireland, South Africa, and Southeast Asia, and spotlights food vocabulary that celebrates food diversity. Language development comes through borrowing words from other languages, which adds to English and improves communication.

 

Source: Hindustan Times, NewsBytes, News18, AOL, BBC News, Daily Sabah, The New York Times