'Alamak', 'tapau' and 'nasi lemak' - here are some new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary

Words such as "alamak" and "nasi lemak" have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary in its latest update in March.

The dictionary explained that people who speak English alongside other languages tend to borrow "untranslatable words" from another language as a way to fill a lexical gap.

There are instances that the borrowed word is so frequently used that it ends up being part of the vocabulary of their variety of English.

Take "alamak" for example.

Borrowed from the Malay language, it is commonly used in Singapore and Malaysia, and the colloquial exclamation, seen earliest in 1952, is used to convey surprise, shock, dismay or outrage.

According to the dictionary, the word's ultimate origin is uncertain but it noted that a comparable interjection, alamah, is used in Kristang, a Malay-Portuguese creole language.

Local dishes in the dictionary

The quarterly update included the original names of some notable local dishes.

So instead of having an Anglicised name, the food terms are kept as is in the dictionary.

Among the newcomers are "ketupat" (a small rice cake boiled in a pouch of woven palm leaves) and "otak-otak" (ground fish or other seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana or palm leaves, and cooked by steaming or grilling over an open charcoal fire).

Singapore's breakfast heavyweights "half-boiled egg" and "kaya toast" are also featured in the latest update.

Examples of Malay dishes that did get Anglicised names, and are part of the March update, include "fish head curry" and "steamboat".

A discussion about local food simply wouldn't be complete without mentioning "tapau".

This colloquial term has Malay and Cantonese influences, reflecting the melting pot of cultures within the region.

The dictionary's latest update also included words from around the world, such as "class" from Ireland.

For the Irish and northern English, "class" is used as a general term of approval, and fans of the popular sitcom Derry Girls will be quick to catch that this was how main character Erin described her hometown of Derry in Northern Ireland.

Over in the Philippines, "gigil" is a word that has been borrowed from Tagalog but has been incorporated in Philippine English since 1990, according to the dictionary.

The term refers to the feeling people get when they see someone or something cute, a feeling so intense that it creates the irresistible urge to tightly clench their hands, grit their teeth and pinch or squeeze the person or thing they find so adorable.

In 2018, "jia you", a term that Singaporeans would be familiar with, was an official entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The term included an exclamation mark, for good measure.

The entry describes the term as being of Hong Kong English origin, defining it as "expressing encouragement, incitement or support".

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