Words long woven into Caribbean speech, folklore, food and culture have received international recognition, with more than a dozen Caribbean and Bermudian terms added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
Among the new entries is “hornerman”, a term used in Trinidad and Tobago since at least 1975 to describe an unfaithful man or a man having a relationship with someone else’s partner.
The word has also featured prominently in Caribbean calypso, including Shadow’s Hornerman and Yuh Looking for Horn.
Another addition is “jablesse”, a supernatural figure from Caribbean folklore. The word refers to a malevolent shape-shifting female spirit traditionally depicted with one cloven hoof, who is said to assume the appearance of a beautiful woman and lure men to their deaths. It derives from the French diablesse, meaning female demon.
The dictionary also added several food-related words and terms from the Caribbean, including “peanut punch”, a beverage made with peanuts or peanut butter, milk, sugar, and spices, and sugar cake, a sweet made from grated coconut, sugar, water and spices.
The new entries also reflect the region’s diverse cultural influences. “Nana” and “nani”, Hindi terms used in the Caribbean for maternal grandparents, are among the additions, while “Trinbagonian” refers to people from both Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean folklore is further represented by “douen”, a supernatural figure traditionally depicted as a child with backwards-pointing feet and a large hat. According to folklore, it is the spirit of a child who died before baptism and is believed to lure children into the forest by calling their names.
The list also includes “canboulay”, referring to Carnival festivities in Trinidad that trace their roots to celebrations of emancipation and earlier harvest traditions. The word is derived from the French Creole kann-boulé, associated with “burning cane”.
Other newly recognised Caribbean expressions include “to get on”, meaning to have an emotional outburst or make a scene, and “vex money”, referring to money kept or carried in a safe place for use in an emergency or unexpected situation.
Some of the other words added to the list come from Bermuda, including “bimpert”, a word of unknown origin used to describe someone who is stupid or foolish; “shadeesh”, the Bermudian word for chorizo; and “hamma”, meaning friend.
