From belna, feg and foreday morning to ketcha, prags and queh-queh, several Guyanese origin colloquial terms were included in the new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary, when the updated list was released on Wednesday.
The Guyanese terms are among terms included from a number of other regions including Wales, Guyana, East Africa, and New Zealand.
The words are part of the OED’s plans for its World English programme which focuses on different varieties of English spoken around the world and is part of OED’s commitment to documenting the diversity of English with regular World English updates.
“This new approach will ensure the timely and consistent monitoring of all major varieties of English covered by the dictionary, so that it can keep pace with the rapidly developing vocabulary of Englishes worldwide,” the organisation said in a statement.
The following are the Guyanese terms that got included in Wednesday’s release:
belna, n.: Indian English and Caribbean (esp. Guyana). A (usually wooden) rolling pin, typically used to flatten out dough, esp. for baking into roti.
butter flap, n.: “In Guyanese cookery: a soft, slightly sweet, buttery white bread that is folded before baking.”
caddy ole punch, n.: “A home-made paper kite, typically constructed from the pages of a schoolbook and stems of a coconut tree leaf, and traditionally flown by children.”
feg, n.: “A segment of a citrus fruit, esp. an orange. Also: a clove of garlic. Cf. peg, n.¹ III.12.”
Foreday morning, n.: “Early morning, esp. before dawn.”
Ketcha, n.: “A children’s game, resembling tag or hide-and-seek, in which one player pursues the others and anyone who is caught then becomes the pursuer.”
Pagalee, adj.: “Of a person: (originally) having an intellectual disability; (later also and now chiefly) foolish, unintelligent, irrational, or out of touch with…”
Prags, n.: “Financial or other material aid given to a person or people in need; handouts. Later: unofficial or fringe benefits (esp. unethical or illegal ones)…”
queh-queh, n.: “Among (esp. rural) Afro-Guyanese communities: a traditional set of celebrations held before a wedding, involving the betrothed couple with their…”
salara, n.: “In Guyanese cookery: a type of sweet bread made with a white yeast dough, spread with a filling of sweetened and spiced coconut dyed a vibrant red…”
