Several Malaysian and Singaporean words, including "alamak," "nasi lemak," "kaya toast," and "tapau," have been officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in its latest update.
These words, deeply rooted in Malay and local culture, highlight the strong culinary and linguistic influence of the region, with terms like "ketupat," "otak-otak," "fish head curry," and "steamboat" also making the list.
Additionally, unique expressions such as "terror," which can mean both "terrible" and "excellent," and the Filipino word "gigil," describing an uncontrollable urge to squeeze something cute, were included.
This update follows a trend of incorporating Singaporean and Malaysian English into the OED, which previously recognized words like "ang moh," "shiok," and "kiasu" in past editions.
