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Gigil: The new word in the dictionary for overwhelming cuteness

Published

3 months ago

March 28, 2025

editor

Gigil, a Philippine word added to the Oxford English Dictionary, describes the feeling we get when we see someone or something cute

Ever found yourself speechless in the presence of overwhelming cuteness, like your baby nephew or the cat video you saw on Instagram? There’s now a word for it: gigil.

Gigil (pronounced ghee-gill) is part of a list of “untranslatable” words, or those that do not have English equivalents, that have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary..

Taken from the Philippines’ Tagalog language, gigil 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”.

Alamak, a colloquial exclamation used to convey surprise or outrage in Singapore and Malaysia, also made 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?” OED said in its latest update.

People who speak English alongside other languages fill lexical gaps by “borrowing the untranslatable word from another language”. When they do this often enough, the borrowed word “becomes part of their vocabulary”, OED said.

The majority of newly-added words from Singapore and Malaysia are names of dishes, a testament to the nations’ obsessions with food.

These include kaya toast, a popular breakfast option of toasted bread slathered with a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves; fish head curry, a dish combining Chinese and South Indian influences, where a large fish head is cooked in a tamarind-based curry; and steamboat, a dish of thinly-sliced meat and vegetables cooked in a broth kept simmering in a heated pot.

“All this talk of food might inspire one to get a takeaway, or to tapau,” OED said, referring to another new word which originated from Mandarin and the Cantonese dialect, meaning “to package, or wrap up, food to take away”.

Apart from gigil, the newly-added Philippine words include the national pastime of videoke, the local version of karaoke which includes a scoring system, and salakot, a wide-brimmed, lightweight hat often used by farmers.

Other Philippine additions include what the OED calls “idiosyncratic uses of existing English words”, such as terror, sometimes used to describe a teacher who is strict, harsh, or demanding.

The OED contains more than 600,000 words, making it one of the most comprehensive dictionaries in the English-speaking world.

Its editors consider thousands of new word suggestions each year. These come from a variety of sources, including its editors’ own reading, crowdsourcing appeals, and analysis of language databases.

Words and phrases from South Africa and Ireland were also part of OED’s latest update.

(BBC News)

News

Notice to Sri Lankans in Iran

Published

54 seconds ago

June 22, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism informs all Sri Lankans in the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the Government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in their flights.

Accordingly, any Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran can reach out to the Indian Embassy in Tehran, either on the Telegram Channel or over the following emergency contact numbers : +98 901 014 4557; +98 912 810 9115; +98 912 810 9109.

They can also contact the Sri Lanka Embassy in Iran for Assistance in the following numbers : +98 939 205 5161; +98 991 205 7522 (Sinhala/English); +98 936 636 0260

News

3 dead in Dunhinda bus accident

Published

12 hours ago

June 21, 2025

editor

Three persons have died from the bus accident at Dunhinda in Badulla today (June 21), according to hospital sources.

A total of 34 individuals were injured when the bus toppled down a precipice this evening (June 21) at the 4th Mile Post area, near the Dunhinda bends on the Badulla–Mahiyanganaya road.

According to reports, the passengers were a group of pilgrims travelling from Badulla to Anuradhapura.

The injured persons have been admitted to the Badulla General Hospital.

Police are conducting further investigations.

(Pic : Accident1st)

News

11th International Day of Yoga celebrated in Colombo (Pics)

Published

12 hours ago

June 21, 2025

editor

The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the High Commission of India in Colombo and its cultural arm, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Sri Lanka at the historic Independence Square in Colombo today (June 21).

This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”, highlighted the universal relevance of yoga in fostering harmony between humans and nature.

The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, joined the celebrations along with distinguished guests including Minister of Science and Technology – Dr. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Labour and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development – Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka – Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Defence – Major General K. P. Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Gamagedara Dissanayake Deputy Minister of Sports – Sugath Thilakaratna, and other senior dignitaries.
The event began with a spiritual invocation through prayers by Most Ven. Dr. Maitipe Wimalasara Nayaka Thera and the Maha Sangha, who offered blessings for peace and well-being. A dynamic and refreshing yoga and meditation session followed, conducted by experts from renowned yoga institutions in India and Sri Lanka. The event brought together hundreds of yoga enthusiasts, dignitaries, and students in a shared spirit of wellness and unity. As part of the celebrations, a specially curated Yoga Pendrive and a Sinhala translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika were launched, aiming to make authentic yoga knowledge more accessible. Complementing the main event in Colombo, the Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna, along with the Assistant High Commission in Kandy, also organized special events – reflecting the enthusiastic and widespread participation in the 11th International Day of Yoga across Sri Lanka.

In a significant prelude to the main event, the Department of Ayurveda, Ministry of Health, Government of Sri Lanka and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre jointly organized a landmark, island-wide celebration of the International Day of Yoga on 19 June 2025, with simultaneous yoga sessions held in 113 Ayurveda hospitals and four universities across all nine provinces – marking the first time such a nationwide initiative has been undertaken in Sri Lanka in a unified fashion.
It may be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution piloted by India in 2014, proclaiming June 21 each year as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution was supported by more than 170 countries, with Sri Lanka being one of its proud co-sponsors.