Akan
Akan (Twi)
Niger-Congo (Kwa)
Also known as: Akan, Twi
Akan (Twi/Fante) is Ghana's most widely spoken indigenous language, with ~11M including Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi, and Fante as principal varieties. The Akuapem Twi dialect was used by Reverend Johann Christaller for the 1881 Twi dictionary and grammar — a landmark of Ghanaian literature. Tonal Niger-Congo (Tano-Bia branch) with Adinkra symbol heritage and akan day-naming (Kwame, Kofi, Kwesi). Latin orthography with subdot vowels (ɛ ɔ); used in education, media, and Christian liturgy.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Akan (Twi)
Water
nsuo
/nsuo/
Fire
ogya
/odʑa/
Sun
owia
/owia/
Moon
ɔsrane
/ɔsrane/
Mother
ɛna
/ɛna/
Father
agya
/adʑa/
Eat
didi
/didi/
Drink
nom
/nom/
Love
ɔdɔ
/ɔdɔ/
Heart
akoma
/akoma/
Tree
dua
/dua/
House
efie
/efie/
Dog
kraman
/kraman/
Cat
agyinamoa
/adʑinamoa/
Hand
nsa
/nsa/
Eye
aniwa
/aniwa/
Hello
akwaaba
/akʷaːba/
Thank you
medaase
/medaase/
One
baako
/baːko/
Good
pa
/pa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Kwa) languages
| Meaning | Akan (Twi) | Nzima | Baoulé | Mongghul | Amis | Cook Islands Māori | Konso |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nsuo /nsuo/ | nzule /nzule/ | nzue /nzue/ | usu /usu/ | nanom /nanom/ | vai /vai/ | inanta /inanta/ |
| Fire | ogya /odʑa/ | sinya /sinja/ | sin /sĩ/ | ghal /ʁal/ | namal /namal/ | ahi /ahi/ | iya /ija/ |
| Sun | owia /owia/ | ewia /ewia/ | wia /wia/ | nara /nara/ | cidal /tsiðal/ | rā /raː/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Moon | ɔsrane /ɔsrane/ | siane /sjane/ | anglo /aŋlo/ | sara /sara/ | folad /folað/ | marama /marama/ | ayeena /ajeːna/ |
| Mother | ɛna /ɛna/ | enwo /enwo/ | nin /nĩ/ | ana /ana/ | ina /ina/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | eedda /eːdːa/ |
| Father | agya /adʑa/ | ekyele /ecele/ | baba /baba/ | ada /ada/ | ama /ama/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | abba /abːa/ |
| Eat | didi /didi/ | di /di/ | di /di/ | idi- /idi/ | komaen /komaen/ | kai /kai/ | ihaa /ihaː/ |
| Drink | nom /nom/ | nu /nu/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | uu- /uː/ | minom /minom/ | inu /inu/ | inakkaa /inakːaː/ |
| Love | ɔdɔ /ɔdɔ/ | ɛlɔlɛ /ɛlɔlɛ/ | klo /klo/ | durala- /durala/ | maolah /maolah/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | jaalla /dʒaːlːa/ |
| Heart | akoma /akoma/ | ahonle /ahonle/ | awlɛn /awlɛ̃/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | faloko' /falokoʔ/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | onna /onːa/ |
| Tree | dua /dua/ | baka /baka/ | waka /waka/ | modu /modu/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | rākau /raːkau/ | ergaa /erɡaː/ |
| House | efie /efie/ | suakɛ /suakɛ/ | sua /sua/ | ger /ɡer/ | loma' /lomaʔ/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | mana /mana/ |
| Dog | kraman /kraman/ | kraman /kraman/ | alua /alua/ | noghui /noʁui/ | wacu /watsu/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kareta /kaɾeta/ |
| Cat | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | bisua /bisua/ | mau /mau/ | posi /posi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | adurree /aduɾːeː/ |
| Hand | nsa /nsa/ | ɛsa /ɛsa/ | sa /sa/ | ghar /ʁar/ | kamay /kamaj/ | rima /ɾima/ | harka /haɾka/ |
| Eye | aniwa /aniwa/ | anye /anje/ | nyrun /ɲɾũ/ | nidu /nidu/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ila /ila/ |
| Hello | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaba /akwaba/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | nga'ay ho /ŋaʔaj ho/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | akkam /akːam/ |
| Thank you | medaase /medaase/ | medaase /medaase/ | moh /mo/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | aray /araj/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | galta /ɡalta/ |
| One | baako /baːko/ | kʊ /kʊ/ | kun /kũ/ | nige /niɡe/ | cecay /tsetsaj/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | takka /takːa/ |
| Good | pa /pa/ | kpa /kpa/ | kpa /kpa/ | sain /sain/ | kapah /kapah/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | fayye /fajːe/ |
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