The ‘Oxford English Dictionary’ (OED) now has added two words often used by Indians. Among the latest to find mention in the dictionary are Indian food essentials – chana and chana dal. The entry of these two words and several others was unveiled on Tuesday.
Over 600 other words and phrases have been deemed popular enough by the Oxford English Dictionary to be included in its quarterly update. The words included in the dictionary include everything from lifestyle and current affairs to the educational world that can be categorised in the evolving English language .
Apart from Chickpeas (Chana) and the split chickpea lentils (chana dal), other popular new entries are from the world of tennis like “forced error” and a slang “bagel”, which means scoring in a set of six games to love.
Earlier in 2017, common Indian explamation ‘aiyo’ was included as a legitimate English phrase in the Oxford English dictionary. Including it in the database, the official website of OED had written that ‘Aiyo’ was first cited in 1886 in the Chamber’s Journal and later references were attributed to the famed writer RK Narayan (“Aiyo! Never thought our beloved headmaster would come to this end.”[Tiger for Malgudi, 1984]).
This is not the first time that an Indian food iten has been included in the Oxford dictionary. The earlier additions include:
Bhelpuri: In 2015, one of India’s most loved snack was included in the dictionary. it was defined as an ‘Indian cookery: a dish or snack typically consisting of puffed rice, onions, potatoes, and spicy and sweet chutneys, sometimes served on a puri’.
Chutney: Be it any season, Indians love to spice up their palate with chutney. The word was included in the dictionary and described as “a spicy condiment of Indian origin, made of fruits or vegetables with vinegar, spices, and sugar.”
Dhaba: You might have visited a number of AC restaurants and cafe, the food that one gets at a dhaba is beyond comparison. The love of Indians for dhabas reached another pinnacle when the word was included in the dictionary. It has been described as a noun which and it means “In India or in Indian contexts: a roadside food stall or restaurant”.
Ghee: When it comes to ghee, it is a favourite for all moms. It is often considered as a way to pamper children in India. “Arey aur ghee do (give them more ghee) is often heard in Indian households by mothers and grandmothers who never forget to brief you on the benefits of the food item. A word with a Sanskrit origin, ghee has been described by the dictionary as “clarified butter made from the milk of a buffalo or cow”.
Masala: India is known for its spicy food. Having originated from an Urdu word ‘masalah‘, these are used as ground, powdered, dried, soaked. The word has been detailed in the dictionary as “a mixture of ground spices used in Indian cooking”.
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