Balut, lechon, 13 other Filipino words join Oxford dictionary

At least 15 Filipino words, mostly traditional dishes and delicacies, have made it to the latest update of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

In its September 2016 update, the OED included names of Filipino food like balut (fertilized duck egg), kare-kare (peanut-based stew), leche flan (custard dessert), lechon (suckling pig), lechon asado, pancit (noodles) and puto (steamed rice cake).

Also included in the list of about 1,000 new entries are Filipino terms referring to family members like lola (grandmother), lolo (grandfather), tita (auntie), and tito (uncle).

Other terms like yaya (housemaid), arnis (martial arts form), tabo (dipper), and bayanihan (sense of community) also made it to the list.

In the March 2016 updated, the words “kilig” (tingly romantic feeling) and “teleserye” (soap opera) were included in the dictionary.

The next update will be in December.

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