`Arre yaar', `churidar' enter Oxford lexicon

Priyanka Dasgupta





Arre yaar' is no longer just Indian. The two words that could denote anything from `hey buddy' to `you got to be kidding me' in desi street lingo are among the new Indian words accepted by Oxford English Dictionary -along with `churidar', `bhelpuri' and `dhaba'.

“Our language research programme has found sufficient evidence that these words are being used in English for a reasonable amount of time and with reasonable frequency , and are of specific cultural, historical or linguistic significance. `Arre', for instance, has quite a long history in English, with its first quotation dating back to 1845,“ said Danica Salazar, consultant editor, Oxford English Dictionary , OUP.

`Churidar' was first spotted in English usage as early as 1880. It took 135 years to officially make it to the English language. The Oxford dictionary defines `churidar' as `tight trousers made with excess material at the bottom of the legs, which falls in folds around the ankles, traditionally worn by people from South Asia'. `Dhaba' has been included as a noun and is explained as `In India or in Indian contexts: a roadside food stall or restaurant'.

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