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More than a dozen words long used in Bermuda and across the Caribbean got an official nod from the Oxford English Dictionary.
First in line is “bimpert,” a Bermudian word of unknown origin that is used to describe a stupid or foolish person. People on the tiny island in the North Atlantic often use it in this traditional phrase: “A bimpert is justah wuffless bye,” which roughly translates to: an idiot is just a worthless boy.
Among other dark words that made the list is “jablesse,” defined as “a malevolent shape-shifting female spirit with one cloven hoof, which at night is said to assume the form of a beautiful woman to lure men to their deaths.” It is derived from “diablesse,” the French word for female demon.
Another supernatural entry is “douen.” It is “typically depicted as short in stature, with backward-pointing feet, and wearing a large hat, believed to lure children into the forest by calling their names,” according to the dictionary. It is a variation of the Spanish word “duende,” which means elf.
Avionne George, a 45-year-old maintenance technician in Trinidad, said formal recognition of such words helps preserve tradition for the younger generations. “Most of them are ignorant of certain terms from long ago like ‘douen.’ They don’t know about ‘la jablesse.'”
Sherwin Williams, a construction worker in Trinidad, said the inclusion of such words in the Oxford English Dictionary would help people around the world understand their Trinidadian origins. “People recognize us by our slang,” he said.
There are some 500,000 words and phrases in the Oxford English Dictionary, which details the history of words, some of which go back to the 11th century.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.