'yoh' Officially Joins The Oxford English Dictionary

In a significant nod to South African culture, the word 'Yoh' has made its prestigious entry into the Oxford English Dictionary OED.

The latest update features around 600 new words and phrases drawn from diverse English dialects globally, including words from Philippine English, Malaysian English, Singapore English, South African English and Irish English.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'yoh' as 'representing a cry or exclamation used to express various emotions or reactions such as surprise, wonder, admiration, shock or distress. Sometimes also reduplicated.'

For many South Africans, this single word transcends mere linguistics. It encapsulates a way of life, thriving in conversations from daily greetings to expressions of astonishment at unexpected news.

'The interjection yoh , which the OED was able to trace to 1855, comes from two of them: it is an imitative utterance that is probably after the Afrikaans 'jo' and the Xhosa 'yho' or 'yo',' read an official statement from Oxford.