‘Accha’ added to Oxford Dictionary

The 10th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, which was released earlier this year, has 384 “deshi” or Indian English words, many of which we Bangladeshis use on a daily basis.

One such word is “achcha” or “accha” (phonetic spelling ɑːtʃɑː).

The renowned dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press, provides two definitions of the word on its website. 

The first definition says that the word “achcha” is “used to show that the speaker agrees with, accepts, understands, etc. something” or it is equivalent to okay or alright. According to the second definition, the word may also be “used to express surprise, happiness, etc.”

Also read - Oxford Dictionary changes the definition of woman

Accha is not the only “deshi” word included in the prestigious dictionary. 

Oft-used words like “abba” (father), “chacha” (uncle), “natak” (a play), “chamcha” (a person who tries too hard to please somebody), “chup” (a rude way of telling somebody to stop talking) and “keema” (meat cut into very small pieces) have also made it to the dictionary.

First published in 1948, the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary was the first advanced learner's dictionary of English. It is the largest English-language dictionary from Oxford University Press aimed at a non-native audience.