Oxford English Dictionary adds Caribbean words in 2025 update.

Carry-go-bring-come: Oxford English Dictionary adds new Caribbean words

Expanding the global reach of English

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), widely recognised as the definitive historical record of the English language, has once again highlighted the global diversity of English in its latest update. Released on September 24, 2025, this quarterly revision places a strong emphasis on the Caribbean, introducing a fresh set of words that reflect the region’s culture, cuisine, and creativity.

This marks a continuation of the OED’s World Englishes initiative, launched with its September 2024 update, which made room for distinctive vocabulary from communities outside Britain and North America. Since then, quarterly updates have showcased terms from East Africa, New Zealand, Wales, and now also the Isle of Man. The Caribbean, which featured prominently in the inaugural release, returns centre stage in this year’s September edition with an array of colourful expressions.

By incorporating words from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Saint Vincent, and other islands, the OED not only documents language but also recognises the Caribbean’s influence on global English. The update ensures that dishes, expressions, and cultural practices unique to the region are preserved within the authoritative history of the language.

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Caribbean flavours take the spotlight

Food is a central part of Caribbean identity, and the OED update reflects this culinary richness. Several of the new entries come directly from kitchens across the islands, each one carrying a story of migration, history, and cultural blending.

A bulla, for example, is a small, round Jamaican cake made from flour, molasses, brown sugar, and spices such as ginger and nutmeg. Sometimes enhanced with coconut or pineapple, bulla has been a staple since the early 20th century, with the first English record appearing in 1940. Its etymology traces back to the Spanish word bollo, meaning bread roll.

From Trinidad and Tobago, buss up shut has entered the dictionary. Known formally as paratha roti, this flaky, torn flatbread resembles tattered fabric, hence its name, a Caribbean pronunciation of “bust-up shirt”. First documented in 1988, buss up shut is an essential accompaniment to curries and a beloved part of local cuisine.

The update also features Pholourie, a snack made of fried dough balls prepared with flour, ground split peas, and spices, usually paired with chutney. This Indo-Caribbean dish reveals the imprint of Indian migration to the Caribbean. Its name derives from Hindi and Bengali roots, linked to a Prakrit term meaning “puffed cake”. The OED notes multiple spellings, including pulouree and phulouri. Its earliest known reference in English comes from the 1936 calypso song Bargee Pelauri by Rafael de Leon, known as “The Lion” or “Roaring Lion”.

Other additions include Cou-cou, a dish of cornmeal, okra, and butter traditionally served with fish, and the cou-cou stick, a flat wooden paddle used to stir it. Both terms date back to the 19th and 20th centuries, with the earliest reference to cou-cou found in 1843. Saltfish, already an old word from the mid-16th century, receives updated Caribbean-specific usage, now defined as salted and dried cod or similar white fish, a staple across the islands.

Culture and community in Caribbean expressions

The Caribbean is not only about food. Its cultural life and social practices also find expression in distinctive terms now enshrined in the OED.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a bobolee refers to an effigy, once of Judas Iscariot and later of unpopular public figures, paraded and beaten on Good Friday. First recorded in 1939, the word is thought to have West African origins. By the 1970s, its meaning expanded to describe a gullible person or scapegoat.

Another expression linked to upbringing and respect is broughtupsy, recorded in 1974. It denotes good manners and courteous behaviour instilled through proper upbringing. This reflects the Caribbean emphasis on community, discipline, and family pride.

The vivid phrase to cry long water means to weep copiously or insincerely. With possible roots in African linguistic influence, it represents the kind of metaphorical imagery common in Caribbean English.

And then there is carry-go-bring-come, a phrase dating back to 1825 that refers to gossip or a gossiping person. Its structure, stringing together verbs in sequence, reflects the serial verb constructions of West African languages. Variations exist across the region: “bring-and-carry” in Saint Vincent, “bring-back-carry-come” in Trinidad and Tobago, and “bring-come-and-carry-go” in the British Virgin Islands. This term embodies the social vibrancy of Caribbean communities, where oral storytelling and news-sharing are integral traditions.

Acknowledging Caribbean English in the global record

The inclusion of these words is more than a linguistic exercise. It acknowledges the Caribbean as a vibrant source of English vocabulary and as a region that has shaped the language through its history of colonisation, migration, and cultural exchange.

The OED’s role as a historical dictionary makes these entries particularly important. Unlike standard dictionaries, which focus on present-day definitions, the OED records the life story of a word, tracing its first use and evolution through literature, songs, newspapers, and everyday speech. With 3.5 million quotations in its database, the dictionary provides a cultural as well as linguistic history.

This is why Caribbean entries matter. A word like pholourie is not only defined but also linked to a calypso lyric from 1936. A dish like cou-cou is tied to sources as old as the mid-19th century. These records anchor Caribbean English in the broader narrative of world Englishes.

The list of new Caribbean entries

The latest OED update includes the following Caribbean terms:

New words

bobolee, n.
broughtupsy, n.
bulla, n.2
buss up shut, n.
carry-go-bring-come, n.
cou-cou, n.
cou-cou stick, n.
Jamaican Creole, n. and adj.
pholourie, n.
saltfish, n.
tantie, n.
to cry long water, phrase in cry, v.

Revised Caribbean entries include curaçao and guava, reflecting updates in etymology and usage.

Each addition preserves an element of Caribbean identity, whether it is the affection for a beloved aunt signalled by tantie, the artistry of paratha-making in buss up shut, or the playful sharpness of carry-go-bring-come.

How words earn their place in the OED

The OED follows a rigorous process for admitting new words. Editors look for independent examples of use across a wide variety of sources and over an extended period. A single fad or passing slang rarely qualifies. Instead, the dictionary requires proof that a word has been part of the language for a significant time and is used across multiple contexts.

In the case of Caribbean English, the evidence often comes from literature, music, journalism, and oral histories. Calypso lyrics, for example, have proved especially important in dating the origins of words. Community practices, like making bobolees or preparing cou-cou, are equally influential, showing how deeply cultural traditions are tied to language.

Why Caribbean words matter globally

The inclusion of Caribbean words in the OED has a global impact. English is spoken by over a billion people, and its vocabulary is constantly enriched by local innovation. Caribbean English represents one of the most dynamic branches of this global tree.

For speakers outside the Caribbean, these entries offer a window into a culture defined by resilience, creativity, and diversity. For Caribbean speakers themselves, the recognition provides validation, showing that their way of speaking is not “broken English” but a vital, documented part of the language’s history.

The OED update also contributes to education, research, and intercultural understanding. Students of linguistics and literature gain access to authoritative definitions and historical records. Teachers can now point to official entries that celebrate Caribbean voices. Writers and journalists can reference the dictionary to ensure accuracy when using regional terms.

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The future of world Englishes in the OED

Oxford Languages has made clear that it intends to continue expanding its World Englishes project. Quarterly updates will bring more attention to words from communities across Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. With every update, the dictionary grows more representative of the diverse voices that shape English.

The September 2025 update is a reminder that language is not static but alive, shifting with migration, trade, and cultural exchange. The Caribbean’s contribution to English is not a side note but a central thread in the fabric of the language.

By formally recognising terms like buss up shut, bobolee, and carry-go-bring-come, the OED has ensured that future generations will see Caribbean English not as peripheral, but as part of the heart of global English.

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