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10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary - Education - Nairaland

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20 Rarely Used English Words That We Need To Know / Top 10 Words Nigerians Use That Aren’t In The Dictionary / 10 Common Words Nigerians Use Everyday That Don't Exist (2) (3) (4)

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10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by BBBlaze: 8:54am On Aug 17, 2017
Here's a list of words that do not exist in the English Dictionary which Nigerians use on a daily basis without realizing that those actual words do not exist and even those that exist are not exactly what they think it means.

1. Installmentally:
This “word” is a favourite of many Nigerians, but, sadly, it simply does not exist. You won’t find it any reputable dictionary. The correct thing to say when “installmentally” comes to your mind is in instalments or by instalments.

2. Plumpy:
Nigerians use “plumpy” when they want to say that someone is chubby or slightly fat. The correct expression is plump.

3. Disvirgin:
This particular “word” is used severally on a daily basis, especially by Nigerian men when they intend saying that a woman has lost her virginity to a guy. The correct word to use, however, is deflower, because “disvirgin” is not a word.

4. Crosscarpeting:
This is a favourite of Nigerian politicians and political analysts alike. They use it when they want to say that a politician has dumped his political party for another party, usually a rival party. The right terms to use when describing this scenario are party switching, defection and crossing the floor and not “cross-carpeting” or “crosscarpeting.”

5. Go-Slow :
The word go-slow exists, but not in the way Nigerians use it. A “go-slow,” in the peculiarly Nigerian context, is a situation in which road traffic is very sluggish due to vehicle queues. However, go-slow in the English language actually means an industrial tactic used by employees whereby they intentionally reduce activity, productivity and efficiency in order to press home some demands. When this happens, you say that work in the office, factory or organization is at a go-slow. The correct terms to use when road traffic is very sluggish due to vehicle queues are traffic jam, traffic congestion, gridlock, and (less technically) hold-up, not “go-slow.”

6. Cunny:
“Cunny” is not found in authoritative dictionaries, but it can be found in some slang dictionaries. Over there, it is a slang used to refer to a woman’s v**ina. The correct term to use is cunning (which is used to describe someone that is being deceitful or crafty) and not “cunny.”

7. Opportuned:
There is nothing like “opportuned” anywhere in the English language, but that has not stopped its blatant use by all and sundry in Nigeria, including journalists and writers. The correct word is opportune. The word opportune is an adjective; therefore it has no past tense. An adjective has no past tense. However, some verbs can function as adjectives or adverbs in a sentence. These verbs are called participles and they do have past tenses. They are not pure adjectives. Examples of participles are fattened, amused, disgusted, mystified, overwhelmed, upset and bored. Be that as it may, opportune is a pure adjective and not a participle, therefore it has no past tense. Opportune means appropriate or well-timed.

8. Alright:
“Alright” is a misspelling of the term all right. All right is used when you want to say that something is adequate, acceptable, agreeable or suitable. To hardcore English language linguists, “alright” is not a word. However, its usage is gaining traction and it’s increasingly becoming acceptable. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary – which is considered the gold standard among American English speakers – has recently drawn a lot of criticisms for its permissiveness when it began indexing some otherwise colloquial and street language terms, including “alright.” Most linguists disagree with the gradual acceptance of “alright” as a word by the public and even the media, while those in the minority are “alright” with it.

9. Wake-Keeping:
“Wake-keeping” exists only in the imagination of a few English speakers. As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as “wake-keeping.” The correct word is wake and not even “wake-keep.” Both “wake-keeping” and “wake-keep” are ungrammatical.

10. Screentouch:
This bad grammatical expression gained currency in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with the influx of made-in-China stylus pen touchscreen not-so-smart phones in the mid 2000s. It was a novelty then; many in Nigeria had not seen it – or even thought such advanced technology was possible – before. So, they looked for a name to call it and “screentouch” came to mind, after all you just touch the screen and it starts working. In case you’ve still not figured it out yet, the correct thing to say is touchscreen and not “screentouch.”
********************
You can add yours!

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Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by BornnAgainChild(f): 9:01am On Aug 17, 2017
Afonja too undecided

5 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by geunik(m): 9:08am On Aug 17, 2017
Honestly op you try. Do you know that the word 'indigene' is not in the English dictionary? So when people say am an indigene of this village, it is wrong. It is 'indigenous' that is correct.

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by internationalman(m): 9:11am On Aug 17, 2017
is it nor human being dat formed d words in the dictionary. And they keep adding more words to d dictionary everyday. What's stopping them from adding these ones formed by Nigerians.?

If engaged is disengage
if member is dismember
if interesting is disinteresting
if respect is disrespect
if obey is disobey
Then what's stopping virgin from being disvirgin. And to think disvirgin even sounds better than deflower.

15 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by internationalman(m): 9:17am On Aug 17, 2017
geunik:
Honestly op you try. Do you know that the word 'indigene' is not in the English dictionary? So when people say am an indigene of this village, it is wrong. It is 'indigenous' that is correct.
There is but it's spelt indigen..

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Friedyokes: 9:38am On Aug 17, 2017
geunik:
Honestly op you try. Do you know that the word 'indigene' is not in the English dictionary? So when people say am an indigene of this village, it is wrong. It is 'indigenous' that is correct.
check your dictionary again or try google

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by muller101(m): 10:26am On Aug 17, 2017
Goods arriving from ship is called CARGO. But good transported by trucks are called SHIPMENT.

4 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Rico96(m): 10:57am On Aug 17, 2017
geunik:
Honestly op you try. Do you know that the word 'indigene' is not in the English dictionary? So when people say am an indigene of this village, it is wrong. It is 'indigenous' that is correct.
please what's the name of your dictionary? You really surprise me with your claim! Hope you from this planet?
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by IamBornToWin(f): 11:21am On Aug 17, 2017
"Followcome" charger or battery

6 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by mu2sa2: 11:58am On Aug 17, 2017
Expatiate (pronounced "ix- pei-shi-et") is widely misspelled and mispronounced in nigeria as "expaNtiate".

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by georgeben205(m): 12:07pm On Aug 17, 2017
@op number 8 is wrong. Alright is an English word found in all dictionaries.

3 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by XX01(f): 12:13pm On Aug 17, 2017
Rico96:
please what's the name of your dictionary? You really surprise me with your claim! Hope you from this planet?

He is right. It is a variant. I don't know which dictionary you use but "indigene" is also in the dictionary.

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by ChucE(m): 12:59pm On Aug 17, 2017
IamBornToWin:
"Followcome" charger or battery

You be baba. I comot cap for you.
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Ademolag(m): 1:32pm On Aug 17, 2017
our slay queens be like As in eh! I was like! like seriously! go jor!
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by ItzChinnex(m): 1:43pm On Aug 17, 2017
Copy and Paste OP, he didn't even check it before posting... "Alright" is a word in Dictionary...
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by AnkaraStyles(f): 2:00pm On Aug 17, 2017
This is not the first time this kind of thread is coming up
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by BBBlaze: 2:09pm On Aug 17, 2017
ItzChinnex:
Copy and Paste OP, he didn't even check it before posting... "Alright" is a word in Dictionary...

Read carefully and in between the lines to understand very well! Before ranting!
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Beemhan(m): 2:20pm On Aug 17, 2017
BBBlaze:


Read carefully and in between the lines to understand very well! Before ranting!
OP is even misusing the word 'ranting'
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Diamond13(f): 2:32pm On Aug 17, 2017
geunik:
Honestly op you try. Do you know that the word 'indigene' is not in the English dictionary? So when people say am an indigene of this village, it is wrong. It is 'indigenous' that is correct.




'I am a native of ... 'is also correct.
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by ikbnice(m): 2:36pm On Aug 17, 2017
If it's not in the dictionary, let's keep popularizing it and get it submitted. It may be included in the dictionary.
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by MISSCONGENIALITY(f): 3:20pm On Aug 17, 2017
As if buhari knew all these words before he became the president.
Who English help

2 Likes

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by thinkmoney(m): 3:58pm On Aug 17, 2017
ItzChinnex:
Copy and Paste OP, he didn't even check it before posting... "Alright" is a word in Dictionary...
do ur own bad belle!!! enemy of progress...everybody dey hail d guy dis one just surface with hin own destructive criticism... disflowered BRAIN!!! grin
ItzChinnex:
Copy and Paste OP, he didn't even check it before posting... "Alright" is a word in Dictionary...
do ur own bad belle!!! enemy of progress...everybody dey hail d guy dis one just surface with hin own destructive criticism... disflowered BRAIN!!!

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Nounitesportal(m): 4:18pm On Aug 17, 2017
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Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by idee91: 4:43pm On Aug 17, 2017
The word "chuke" is not in the dictionary

E.g ....I will chuke you with my captain malu..... grin

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by remi4ever(m): 6:09pm On Aug 17, 2017
internationalman:
is it nor human being dat formed d words in the dictionary. And they keep adding more words to d dictionary everyday. What's stopping them from adding these ones formed by Nigerians.?

If engaged is disengage
if member is dismember
if interesting is disinteresting
if respect is disrespect
if obey is disobey
Then what's stopping virgin from being disvirgin. And to think disvirgin even sounds better than deflower.

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Hectorshady: 6:25pm On Aug 17, 2017
There's a level one will reach in any language and can add suffix , interfix and prefix since it still make English meaning like me , circumlocutioning is not in dictionary rather circumlocution , but adding the suffix ''' ing ''' made it a verb
internationalman:
is it nor human being dat formed d words in the dictionary. And they keep adding more words to d dictionary everyday. What's stopping them from adding these ones formed by Nigerians.?

If engaged is disengage
if member is dismember
if interesting is disinteresting
if respect is disrespect
if obey is disobey
Then what's stopping virgin from being disvirgin. And to think disvirgin even sounds better than deflower.
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Airoflaw(m): 6:30pm On Aug 17, 2017
go and tell Jenifer
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by Alitair(m): 6:59pm On Aug 17, 2017
You don't know every english word has a Nigerian pidgin translation.
_crosscarpeting is a slang coined from confraternities_
Goes a long way to explain how much cultists are our politicians and political leaders
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by ezzylee(m): 10:36pm On Aug 17, 2017
georgeben205:
@op number 8 is wrong. Alright is an English word found in all dictionaries.

Didn't you read in his post where he said its gradually gaining acceptance as a word?

1 Like

Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by espn(m): 10:50pm On Aug 17, 2017
BornnAgainChild:
Afonja too undecided
LOL true..even Igbo..
Re: 10 Words That Nigerians Use Daily But Do Not Exist In The Dictionary by 9jaland: 11:39pm On Aug 17, 2017
BBBlaze:
Here's a list of words that do not exist in the English Dictionary which Nigerians use on a daily basis without realizing that those actual words do not exist and even those that exist are not exactly what they think it means.

1. Installmentally:
This “word” is a favourite of many Nigerians, but, sadly, it simply does not exist. You won’t find it any reputable dictionary. The correct thing to say when “installmentally” comes to your mind is in instalments or by instalments.

2. Plumpy:
Nigerians use “plumpy” when they want to say that someone is chubby or slightly fat. The correct expression is plump.

3. Disvirgin:
This particular “word” is used severally on a daily basis, especially by Nigerian men when they intend saying that a woman has lost her virginity to a guy. The correct word to use, however, is deflower, because “disvirgin” is not a word.

4. Crosscarpeting:
This is a favourite of Nigerian politicians and political analysts alike. They use it when they want to say that a politician has dumped his political party for another party, usually a rival party. The right terms to use when describing this scenario are party switching, defection and crossing the floor and not “cross-carpeting” or “crosscarpeting.”

5. Go-Slow :
The word go-slow exists, but not in the way Nigerians use it. A “go-slow,” in the peculiarly Nigerian context, is a situation in which road traffic is very sluggish due to vehicle queues. However, go-slow in the English language actually means an industrial tactic used by employees whereby they intentionally reduce activity, productivity and efficiency in order to press home some demands. When this happens, you say that work in the office, factory or organization is at a go-slow. The correct terms to use when road traffic is very sluggish due to vehicle queues are traffic jam, traffic congestion, gridlock, and (less technically) hold-up, not “go-slow.”

6. Cunny:
“Cunny” is not found in authoritative dictionaries, but it can be found in some slang dictionaries. Over there, it is a slang used to refer to a woman’s v**ina. The correct term to use is cunning (which is used to describe someone that is being deceitful or crafty) and not “cunny.”

7. Opportuned:
There is nothing like “opportuned” anywhere in the English language, but that has not stopped its blatant use by all and sundry in Nigeria, including journalists and writers. The correct word is opportune. The word opportune is an adjective; therefore it has no past tense. An adjective has no past tense. However, some verbs can function as adjectives or adverbs in a sentence. These verbs are called participles and they do have past tenses. They are not pure adjectives. Examples of participles are fattened, amused, disgusted, mystified, overwhelmed, upset and bored. Be that as it may, opportune is a pure adjective and not a participle, therefore it has no past tense. Opportune means appropriate or well-timed.

8. Alright:
“Alright” is a misspelling of the term all right. All right is used when you want to say that something is adequate, acceptable, agreeable or suitable. To hardcore English language linguists, “alright” is not a word. However, its usage is gaining traction and it’s increasingly becoming acceptable. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary – which is considered the gold standard among American English speakers – has recently drawn a lot of criticisms for its permissiveness when it began indexing some otherwise colloquial and street language terms, including “alright.” Most linguists disagree with the gradual acceptance of “alright” as a word by the public and even the media, while those in the minority are “alright” with it.

9. Wake-Keeping:
“Wake-keeping” exists only in the imagination of a few English speakers. As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as “wake-keeping.” The correct word is wake and not even “wake-keep.” Both “wake-keeping” and “wake-keep” are ungrammatical.

10. Screentouch:
This bad grammatical expression gained currency in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with the influx of made-in-China stylus pen touchscreen not-so-smart phones in the mid 2000s. It was a novelty then; many in Nigeria had not seen it – or even thought such advanced technology was possible – before. So, they looked for a name to call it and “screentouch” came to mind, after all you just touch the screen and it starts working. In case you’ve still not figured it out yet, the correct thing to say is touchscreen and not “screentouch.”
********************
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