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Akan language

From Wikipedia
Akan
natural language, macrolanguage, modern language
Subclass ofCentral Tano, Kwa Edit
Native labelakan, Akan Edit
CountryGhana, Ivory Coast Edit
Indigenous toGhana Edit
Coordinate location6°0′0″N 1°0′0″W Edit
Linguistic typologysubject–verb–object Edit
Writing systemLatin script, Akan Braille Edit
Language regulatory bodyBureau of Ghana Languages Edit
Ethnologue language status3 Wider Communication Edit
Ghana Place Names URLhttps://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/languages-locations/akan Edit
Wikimedia language codeak Edit
Map
A man wey dey speak Asante Twi

Akan (/əˈkæn/),[1] anaa Twi-Fante,[2] be de most widely-spoken language of Ghana, den de principal native language of de Akan people, wey over much of de southern half of Ghana dey speak.[3] About 80% of Ghana ein population dey speak Akan as a first anaa second language,[3] den about 44% of Ghanaians be native speakers.[3][4] Dem sanso dey speak de Bono dialect across de border insyd Ivory Coast.[5]

Na dem develop three dialects as literary standards plus distinct orthographies: Asante den Akuapem, dem collectively know as Twi, den Fante.[6][7] Despite e be mutually intelligible,[3][8] dem be inaccessible insyd written form to speakers of de oda standards til de Akan Orthography Committee (AOC) ein development of a common Akan orthography insyd 1978, wey based mainly on Akuapem dialect.[9] As de first Akan variety to be used for Bible translation, Akuapem cam be de prestige dialect.[10]

Plus de Atlantic slave trade, na dem introduce Akan languages to de Caribbean den South America, notably insyd Suriname den Jamaica, wer e heavily influence de languages wey de Ndyuka den de Jamaican Maroons dey speak, dem sanso know as de Coromantee.[3] De cultures of de descendants of escaped slaves insyd de interior of Suriname den de Maroons insyd Jamaica still retain Akan influences, wey dey include de Akan naming practice of naming kiddies after de day of de week on wich dem be born, e.g. Akwasi/Kwasi give a boy anaa Akosua give a girl dem born on a Sunday. Insyd Jamaica den Suriname, de Anansi spider stories still be well-known.[3][8]

Name

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Originally, na de language be known by local names rada dan a single unifying term. Inland Akan groups refer to am as 'Twi' (/tʃwiː, twiː, tʃiː/;), while coastal Akan groups refer to am as 'Fante.[11] After independence, de national language commission adopt 'Akan', a name wey na e be used give all de languages wey de Akan people dey speak, wich include Twi-Fante den de Bia languages, as de name give Twi-Fante specifically per. Na dem rename de broader scope de Central Tano languages to avoid confusion. However, chaw sources still dey refer to de Central Tano languages as 'Akan'.

History

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Na de largest Akan migration be to Ghana insyd successive waves between de 11th den 18th centuries. Smaller numbers migrate to de eastern part of Côte d'Ivoire den parts of Togo.[12] Within Ghana, dem expand from de north to occupy de southern forest den coastal areas during de 13th century. De Akans get a strong oral history tradition of dema past wey sanso be known in for symbolic artifacts of wood, metal den terracotta.[3] Dema cultural ideas be expressed insyd stories den proverbs as well as insyd designs such as symbols dem use in carvings den on clothes.[3] De rich Akan culture den history insyd Ghana be areas of research for chaw disciplines, such as folklore, literary studies, linguistics, anthropology, den history.[3]

Dialects

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Akan be a dialect continuum wey be closely related to de Bia languages, de oda Central Tano languages wey de Akan people speak. De relationships of de major Akan dialects be as follows:[13][14] Brong den Wasa get limited mutual intelligibility plus each oda, den so be separate languages by dat standard. Neighboring Brong den Asante be mutually intelligible, though geographically more distant Brong den Fante be less so.[15] Indeed, 'a Fante-speaker go be right in looking on Bron [Bono] as a different language.'[16]

Phonology

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De Akan dialects dey contain extensive palatalization, vowel harmony, den tone terracing.

Akan consonant phonemes[17][18]
Labial Alveolar Dorsal Labialized
Nasal plain /m/ /n/ /nʷ/
geminated /nː/ /nːʷ/
Stop voiceless /p/ /t/ /k/ /kʷ/
voiced /b/ /d/ /ɡ/ /ɡʷ/
Fricative /f/ /s/ /h/ /hʷ/
Trill /r/
Approximant /l/ /j/ /w/
Allophones of Akan consonants[17][18]
Labial Alveolar Dorsal Labialized
Phoneme Allophones Phoneme Allophones Phoneme Allophones
Nasal plain /m/ /n/ [n~ŋ, ɲ, ɲĩ] /nʷ/ [ŋʷ, ɲᶣ]
geminated /nː/ [ŋː, ɲːĩ] /nːʷ/ [ɲːᶣ]
Stop voiceless /p/ /t/ [t] /k/ [k, tɕ~cç] /kʷ/ [kʷ, tɕᶣ]
voiced /b/ /d/ /ɡ/ [ɡ, dʑ~ɟʝ] /ɡʷ/ [ɡʷ, dʑᶣ]
Fricative /f/ /s/ /h/ [h, ɕ] /hʷ/ [hʷ, ɕᶣ]
Trill /r/ [ɾ, r, ɽ]
Approximant /l/ /j/ /w/ [w, ɥ]
Akan consonant orthography
Labial Alveolar Dorsal Labialized
Nasal plain ⟨m⟩ ⟨n, ny, ngi⟩ ⟨nw, nu⟩
geminated ⟨ng, nyi, nnyi⟩ ⟨nnw⟩
Stop voiceless ⟨p⟩ ⟨t, ti⟩ ⟨k, ky⟩ ⟨kw, twi⟩
voiced ⟨b⟩ ⟨d⟩ ⟨g, dw, gy⟩ ⟨gu, dwi⟩
Fricative ⟨f⟩ ⟨s⟩ ⟨h, hy⟩ ⟨hu, hwi⟩
Trill ⟨r⟩
Approximant ⟨l⟩ ⟨y⟩ ⟨w, wi⟩

Vowels

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Akan vowel phonemes
Front Central Back
-RTR +RTR -RTR +RTR -RTR +RTR
Close /i/ /i̙/ /u/ /u̙/
Mid /e/ /e̙/ /o/ /o̙/
Open /a/ /a̙/
Orthog. -RTR +RTR
i /i/ [i]
e /e/ [e] /i̙/ [ɪ~e]
ɛ /e̙/ [ɛ]
a /a/ [æ~ɐ~ə] /a̙/ [a]
ɔ /o̙/ [ɔ]
o /o/ [o] /u̙/ [ʊ~o]
u /u/ [u]

Orthography

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Uppercase A B D E Ɛ F G H I K L M N O Ɔ P R S T U W Y
Lowercase a b d e ɛ f g h i k l m n o ɔ p r s t u w y

Vocabulary

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Common phrases

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English Akan
Welcome Akwaaba
Yes Aane (Asante)
Nyew (Fante)
Yiw (Akuapem)
Okay/Alright Yoo
No/Nope Oho/Anhã (Fante)
Daabi(Asante)
Good night Da yie (Asante)
literally "sleep well"
I'm going to sleep Me rekɔ da (Fante)
How's it going?/How are you? Ɛte sɛn? (Asante)
e sanso fi be used insyd de non-literal sense as "hello"
Thank you Medaase
Please/Excuse me/I beg your pardon Mepa wo kyɛw
Song(s)/Music Ndwom (Fante)
Nnwom (Asante)
What is your name? Wo din de sɛn?/Yɛfrɛ wo sɛn? (Asante)
Wo dzin dze dεn? (Fante)
My name is.../I'm called... Me dzin dze... /Wɔfrɛ me... (Fante)
How old is he/she? Woedzi mfe ahen? (Fante)
How old are you? Edzi mfe ahen (Fante)
Where is it? Ɔwɔ hen?
I am going/I am taking my leave Me rekɔ
Good Mbo (Fante)
Mmocode (Asante)
Leave Jo (Fante)
Kɔ (Asante)
Well done Ayɛ adze (Fante)
Stop Gyae
Sleep Da
Come Bra
Come here Bra ha
Come and eat Bɛ didi

Place names

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English Akan
Home Fie
School Sukuu
Church Asɔre
Market Dwaaso
University/Tertiary institution Sukuupon
Hospital Ayaresabea

System of given names

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Day Male name Female name
English Akan
Monday Dwoada Kwadwo, Kojo Adwoa
Tuesday Benada Kwabena, Kobina Abena
Wednesday Wukuada Kweku, Kwaku Akua
Thursday Yawoada Yaw, Kwaw Yaa
Friday Fiada Kofi Afia/Afua
Saturday Memeneda Kwame Ama
Sunday Kwasiada Akwasi, Kwasi, Kwesi Asi, Akosua, Esi

References

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  1. ↑ Bauer, Laurie (2007), The Linguistics Student's Handbook, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, ISBN 978-0-7486-3160-5
  2. ↑ Florence Abena Dolphyne, 1988, The Akan (Twi-Asante) Language Its Sound Systems and Tonal Structure
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Akan (Twi) at Rutgers". www.amesall.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  4. ↑ "Akan Language". Center for International Studies. Ohio University. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  5. ↑ "Abron". Ethnologue. 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Arhin, Kwame; Studies, University of Ghana Institute of African (1979). A Profile of Brong Kyempim: Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana (in English). Afram.
  7. ↑ Schacter 1968, pp. 3–4.
  8. 1 2 The Brong (Bono) dialect of Akan” by Florence Abena Dolphyne University of Ghana, Legon 1979.
  9. ↑ Harries, Patrick; Maxwell, David (2012-07-20). The Spiritual in the Secular: Missionaries and Knowledge about Africa (in English). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4674-3585-7.
  10. ↑ Ager, Simon. "Omniglot". Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  11. ↑ M E Kropp Dakubu, 2006, 'Akan', in Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics
  12. ↑ "Akan people /Britannica". 18 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Dolphyne 1986, p. 4.
  14. ↑ Dolphyne 1988, pp. 54–6.
  15. ↑ Dolphyne 1986, p. 9–12.
  16. ↑ Dolphyne 1988, pp. 54.
  17. 1 2 Osam 1994.
  18. 1 2 Schacter 1968.

Bibliography

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Read further

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  • Cleland, Esi; Gyang, Kofi Oteng; Imbeah, Nana Kodwo (Jojoo); Imbeah, Paa Kwesi (2005). Modern Akan: A concise introduction to the Akuapem, Fanti and Twi language. Kasahorow Language Guides. Accra: Kasahorow. ISBN 978-9988-0-376-7-3.
  • Dolphyne, Florence Abena (1988). The Akan (Twi-Fante) Language: Its Sound Systems and Tonal Structure. Accra: Ghana Universities Press. ISBN 9964-3-0159-6.
  • Dolphyne, F. A. (1996). A Comprehensive Course in Twi (Asante) for the Non-Twi Learner. Accra: Ghana University Press. ISBN 9964-3-0245-2.
  • Nketia, William (2004). Twi für Ghana: Wort für Wort. Bielefeld: Reise Know-How Verlag. ISBN 3-89416-346-1.
  • Obeng, Samuel Gyasi (2001). African anthroponymy: An ethnopragmatic and norphophonological study of personal names in Akan and some African societies. LINCOM studies in anthropology. Vol. 08. München: LINCOM Europa. ISBN 3-89586-431-5.
  • Redden, J. E.; Owusu, N. (1963). Twi Basic Course. Foreign Service Institute basic course series. Foreign Service Institute. hdl:2027/mdp.39015005280261. Reprint: Twi basic course. Hippocrene. 1995. ISBN 0-7818-0394-2.
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