Akuapem dialect
| Subclass of | Twi  |
|---|---|
| Dialect of | Twi |
Akuapem, dem sanso know as Akuapim, Akwapem Twi, den Akwapi, be one of de literary dialects of de Akan language, along plus Asante (plus wich e be collectively known as Twi) den Fante, plus wich e be mutually intelligible.[1][2][3][4] Der be 626,000 speakers of Akuapem, dem mainly concentrate insyd Ghana den southeastern Cote D'Ivoire.[1] E be de historical literary den prestige dialect of Akan, na dem choose am as de basis of de Akan translation of de Bible.[3][5]
Etymology
[edit | edit source]Na de name Akuapem be thought to derive from either Akan nkoa apem ("thousand subjects") anaa akuw-apem ("thousand companies").[6]
History
[edit | edit source]Na dem first develop Akuapem ein orthography by missionaries at de Gold Coast Basel Mission insyd 1842,[7] buh ein written history dey begin insyd 1853 plus de publication of two grammars, de German Elemente des Akwapim Dialects der Odshi Sprache den de English Grammatical Outline and Vocabulary of the Oji Language with especial reference to the Akwapim Dialect, Hans Nicolai Riis wrep both, nephew of de Gold Coast Basel Mission ein founder Andreas Riis. Dese no go be followed insyd de bibliography of Akuapem writing til de translation of de New Testament.[8]
Na dem choose Akuapem as a representative dialect give Akan secof na de missionaries at Basel feel e be a suitable compromise. Christaller, wey na einself learn Akyem buh believe Akuapem be de better choice,[5] he describe de issue, den ein solution, insyd de introduction to ein 1875 Grammar of the Asante and Fante language called Tshi:
E [Akuapem] be an Akan dialect wey Fante influence, steering insyd de middle course between oda Akan dialects den Fante in sounds, forms den expressions; e dey admit peculiarities of both branches as far as dem no dey contradict each oda, wey e be, therefore, best capable of being enriched from both sides.[9]
Phonology
[edit | edit source]Consonants
[edit | edit source]| Labial | Alveolar | Post-alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | voiced | m ⟨m⟩ | n ⟨n⟩ | ɲ ⟨ny, n⟩ | ŋ ⟨ng, n⟩ | |||
| labialized | nʷ ⟨nw⟩ | |||||||
| Stop/ affricate |
voiced | b ⟨b⟩ | d ⟨d⟩ | d͡ʒ ⟨dw⟩ | d͡ʑ ~ ɟ͡ʝ ⟨gy⟩ | ɡ ⟨g⟩ | ||
| aspirated | pʰ ⟨p⟩ | tʰ ⟨t⟩ | t͡ɕʰ ~ c͡çʰ ⟨ky⟩ | kʰ ⟨k⟩ | ||||
| labialized | t͡ɕʷ ⟨tw⟩ | kʷ ⟨kw⟩ | ||||||
| Fricative | voiceless | f ⟨f⟩ | s ⟨s⟩ | ç ⟨hy⟩ | h ⟨h⟩ | |||
| labialized | hʷ ⟨hw⟩ | |||||||
| Approximant | j ⟨y⟩ | w ⟨w⟩ | ||||||
| Tap/flap | ɾ ⟨r⟩ | ɽ ⟨r⟩ | ||||||
| Trill | r ⟨r⟩ | |||||||
| Lateral | l ⟨l⟩ | |||||||
Vowels
[edit | edit source]| Front | Central | Back | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | +ATR | i | u | |
| –ATR | ɪ | ʊ | ||
| Mid | +ATR | e | o | |
| –ATR | ɛ | ɔ | ||
| Open | +ATR | æ | ||
| –ATR | ɑ | |||
Tone
[edit | edit source]Twi get at least five tones:
- High tone: H
- Mid tone: M
- Low tone: L
- Rising tone: R
- Falling tone: F
However, wen dey wrep Twi dey use de Latin script, tone marks no be used.
Diphthongs
[edit | edit source]Twi dey contain de diphthongs /ɪɛ/, /ei/, /iæ/, /ie/, /ʊɔ/, /ue/, /uo/, and either /æo/ or /ɑʊ/.
References
[edit | edit source]- 1 2 "Akan". Ethnologue (in English). Retrieved 2019-12-25.
- ↑ Schacter, Paul; Fromkin, Victoria (1968). A Phonology of Akan: Akuapem, Asante, Fante. Los Angeles: UC Press. p. 3.
- 1 2 Christaller, Johann Gottlieb (1875). A Grammar of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi Chwee, Twi Based on the Akuapem Dialect with Reference to the Other (Akan and Fante) Dialects (in English). Basel evang. missionary society.
- ↑ "About Akan (Twi)". UW Press Journals (in English).
- 1 2 Ofosu-Appiah, L. H. (1998). "Christaller, Johannes Gottlieb". Dictionary of African Christian Biography.
- ↑ Gilbert, Michelle (1997). "'No Condition Is Permanent': Ethnic Construction and the Use of History in Akuapem". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 67 (4): 501–533. doi:10.2307/1161106. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1161106. S2CID 144245685.
- ↑ Committee, Akan Language; Languages, Ghana Bureau of Ghana (1995). Language guide (Akuapem-Twi version) (in English). Bureau of Ghana Languages. ISBN 9789964200145.
- ↑ Christaller, Johann G. (1881). A Dictionary of the Asante and Fante language called Tshi. Basel. pp. XV.
- ↑ Christaller, Johann Gottlieb (1875). A Grammar of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi Chwee, Twi Based on the Akuapem Dialect with Reference to the Other (Akan and Fante) Dialects (in English). Basel evang. missionary society.