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
31 core words in Akan (Twi)
Water
nsuo
/nsuo/
Fire
ogya
/odʑa/
Sun
owia
/owia/
Moon
ɔsrane
/ɔsrane/
Star
nsoromma
/n̩sòròmmá/
Mother
ɛna
/ɛna/
Father
agya
/adʑa/
I
me
/mɪ̀/
You
wo
/wʊ̀/
Name
din
/dín/
Eye
aniwa
/aniwa/
Hand
nsa
/nsa/
Heart
akoma
/akoma/
Love
ɔdɔ
/ɔdɔ/
Tree
dua
/dua/
House
efie
/efie/
Dog
kraman
/kraman/
Cat
agyinamoa
/adʑinamoa/
Eat
didi
/didi/
Drink
nom
/nom/
One
baako
/baːko/
Two
mmienu
/m̩mìɛ̀nu/
Hello
akwaaba
/akʷaːba/
Thank you
medaase
/medaase/
Good
pa
/pa/
Computer
kɔmputa
/kɔmputa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Kwa) languages
| Meaning | Akan (Twi) | Nzima | Baoulé | Ewe | Mongghul | Amis | Motu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nsuo /nsuo/ | nzule /nzule/ | nzue /nzue/ | tsi /tsi/ | usu /usu/ | nanom /nanom/ | ranu /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | ogya /odʑa/ | sinya /sinja/ | sin /sĩ/ | dzo /dzo/ | ghal /ʁal/ | namal /namal/ | lahi /lahi/ |
| Sun | owia /owia/ | ewia /ewia/ | wia /wia/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | nara /nara/ | cidal /tsiðal/ | dina /dina/ |
| Moon | ɔsrane /ɔsrane/ | siane /sjane/ | anglo /aŋlo/ | ɣleti /ɣleti/ | sara /sara/ | folad /folað/ | hua /hua/ |
| Star | nsoromma /n̩sòròmmá/ | nzonlenle /nzɔnlɛnlɛ/ | nzraama /nzraːma/ | ɣletivi /ɣletivi/ | hodi /xoˈdi/ | fo'is /foʔis/ | hisiu /hisiu/ |
| Mother | ɛna /ɛna/ | enwo /enwo/ | nin /nĩ/ | dada /dada/ | ana /ana/ | ina /ina/ | sinana /sinana/ |
| Father | agya /adʑa/ | papa /papa/ | baba /baba/ | fofo /fofo/ | ada /ada/ | ama /ama/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| I | me /mɪ̀/ | me /mè/ | mín /mĩ́/ | nye /ɲɛ/ | bu /bu/ | kako /kako/ | lau /lau/ |
| You | wo /wʊ̀/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | wò /wò/ | chi /tɕi/ | kiso /kiso/ | oi /oi/ |
| Name | din /dín/ | duma /duma/ | dunman /dũmã/ | ŋkɔ /ŋkɔ/ | nere /nərə/ | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ | ladana /ladana/ |
| Eye | aniwa /aniwa/ | anye /anje/ | nyrun /ɲɾũ/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | nidu /nidu/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ |
| Hand | nsa /nsa/ | ɛsa /ɛsa/ | sa /sa/ | asi /asi/ | ghar /ʁar/ | kamay /kamaj/ | ima /ima/ |
| Heart | akoma /akoma/ | ahonle /ahonle/ | awlɛn /awlɛ̃/ | dzi /dzi/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | faloko' /falokoʔ/ | kudouna /kudouna/ |
| Love | ɔdɔ /ɔdɔ/ | ɛlɔlɛ /ɛlɔlɛ/ | klo /klo/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | durala- /durala/ | maolah /maolah/ | lalokau /lalokau/ |
| Tree | dua /dua/ | baka /baka/ | waka /waka/ | ati /ati/ | modu /modu/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | au /au/ |
| House | efie /efie/ | suakɛ /suakɛ/ | sua /sua/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | ger /ɡer/ | loma' /lomaʔ/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | kraman /kraman/ | kraman /kraman/ | alua /alua/ | avu /avu/ | noghui /noʁui/ | wacu /watsu/ | sisia /sisia/ |
| Cat | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | bisua /bisua/ | dadi /dadi/ | mau /mau/ | posi /posi/ | gosi /ɡosi/ |
| Eat | didi /didi/ | di /di/ | di /di/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | idi- /idi/ | komaen /komaən/ | aniani /aniani/ |
| Drink | nom /nom/ | nu /nu/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | no /no/ | uu- /uː/ | minom /minom/ | inuinu /inuinu/ |
| One | baako /baːko/ | kʊ /kʊ/ | kun /kũ/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | nige /niɡe/ | cecay /tsetsaj/ | ta /ta/ |
| Two | mmienu /m̩mìɛ̀nu/ | nwiɔ /nwiɔ/ | nɲɔn /ɲɔ̃/ | eve /ève/ | ghoor /ʁoːr/ | tosa /tosaʔ/ | rua /rua/ |
| Hello | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaba /akwaba/ | ŋdi /ŋdi/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | nga'ay ho /ŋaʔaj ho/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ |
| Thank you | medaase /medaase/ | medaase /medaase/ | moh /mo/ | akpe /akpe/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | aray /araj/ | oi namo /oi namo/ |
| Good | pa /pa/ | kpa /kpa/ | kpa /kpa/ | nyo /ɲo/ | sain /sain/ | kapah /kapah/ | namo /namo/ |
| Computer | kɔmputa /kɔmputa/ | — | — | kɔmputa /kɔmputa/ | — | — | — |
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