Replace Your ‘Aw, So Cute’ And ‘Ew, So Gross’ With These New Words In Oxford Dictionary

Gigil is taken from the Philippines’ Tagalog language and is a “feeling so intense that it gives us the irresistible urge to tightly clench our hands, grit our teeth, and pinch or squeeze whomever or whatever it is we find so adorable".

Another word- Alamak- an exclamation used to convey surprise or outrage in Singapore and Malaysia has also been added to the list.

“Wouldn’t it be useful for English speakers to have a specific word for sunlight dappling through leaves… Or a word for the action of sitting outside enjoying a beer?" the Oxford English Dictionary said in its latest update.

It said that people who speak English alongside other languages fill lexical gaps by “borrowing the untranslatable word from another language" after which the borrowed word “becomes part of their vocabulary".

Newly added words also include kaya toast- a popular breakfast option of toasted bread with a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves, fish head curry- a dish cooked in a tamarind-based curry and steamboat- a dish of thinly-sliced meat and vegetables cooked in a broth.

The Oxford English Dictionary said, “All this talk of food might inspire one to get a takeaway."