GHANEAN
Actually Yaw is my Ghanean name. The most important language in Ghana is (Asante) Twi, spoken in the Mid-South of Ghana by over 2 million Ashanti.
For those who are interested in linguistics: Asante Twi is part of the Akan group. which has almost 7 million speakers; this group is in its turn a member of the Kwa, part of the Niger-Congo language family.
Twi people have a forename according to their sex and the day they are born!
The following table shows which name you get on which day. Now finally you find on what day I've been born, and, more important, what is my sex!
| NAMES
|---|
| men | women |
|---|
| sunday | A'kwasi | Ako'sua |
|---|
| monday | 'Kojo | A'dwoah |
|---|
| tuesday | Kwa'bena | 'Abenah |
|---|
| wednesday | 'Kwaku | A'kuah |
|---|
| thursday | Yaw | 'Yaah |
|---|
| friday | Ko'fi | A'fia |
|---|
| saturday | 'Kwame | 'Ama |
|---|
LEARN SOME TWI
ma'tsji 'good morning'
ma'ha 'good afternoon'
ma'dzju 'good evening'
ète 'ze? 'how are you?'
è'jè 'fine'
bò'kò 'fine'
èn'jè 'not good'
oso'è 'how about you?'
me'dase 'thank you'
èwi'jabo 'nice weather'
mi pa'tsjò,
min ti tschwi 'sorry, I don't speak Twi'
'kètwa 'a little'
'kràtsji 'Sir'
u'din de'se? 'what's your name'
jè'fra u'se? 'what's your name'
m'dinde Jau 'my name is Jaw'
me'hun fa'me 'it's okay'
de'je 'see ya (good night)'
m'njè 'bèmè 'my brother'
m'njè 'bà 'my sister'
'bèmè 'brother, man'
ò'bà 'sister, woman'
ma'tI 'yes'
'dèbi 'no'
wi'e 'munjè 'bad weather'
a fi sja'pa 'happy new year!'
a fi nkò mè'tuje answer to 'happy new year'
wò da'ji? aa'ne! 'had a nice weekend? yes!'
mi hu wo a'tsje 'haven't seen you for a long time!'
source: Kwame, Louis
