A much-used regional word is getting a taste of the limelight after featuring in a poem commissioned for National Poetry Day.

Twitten, which means an alleyway in Sussex, is one of the local words to be used in 12 poems, after thousands of local words unrecorded in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) were nominated by people across the UK.

Other words include Leicester’s “mardy” meaning moody, London’s “fam” used to address friends and “gurt” meaning great in Bristol. Poets will perform new works incorporating the words on BBC radio on National Poetry Day on September 28.

Broadcaster and lexicographer Susie Dent said the poems “will shine a light into a lexicon that’s too often overlooked”.

She added: “Our local words and expressions are very much part of an oral tradition and printed records are often hard to find. The words reflect some of the verve and vibrancy of our local tongues. I’m probably not allowed to be biased, but Devon’s ‘dimpsy’ has long been a favourite of mine.”

A poem featuring all 12 words will be performed by 19-year-old poet and spoken word artist Isaiah Hull.

Some will appear in the next edition of the OED. Associate editor Eleanor Maier said: “Not only were we reminded of the vitality of the country’s dialects but we were able to identify and research a large number of new words for future inclusion in the OED.”