Twi


Twi, also known as Akan Kasa, is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by several million people, mainly of the Akan people, the largest of the seventeen major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi has about 17–18 million speakers in total, including second-language speakers; about 29% of the Ghanaian population speaks Twi as a first or second language.
Twi is a common name for mutually intelligible former literary dialects of the Akan language, Fante, Bono, Asante and Akuapem. Akuapem, as the first Akan dialect to be used for Bible translation, has become the prestige dialect as a result. It is also spoken by the people of southeastern Côte d'Ivoire.

Etymology

Twi which is a dialect of the Akan language is a derivative of a Bono king Nana Baffuor Twi.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

Diphthongs

Twi contains the diphthongs /ao/, /eɛ/, /ei/, /ia/, /ie/, /oɔ/, /ue/, and /uo/.

Orthography

The letters C, J, V and Z are also used, but only in loanwords.

Naming system

The Akan peoples use a common Ghanaian system of giving the first name to a child, based on the day of the week that the child was born. Almost all the tribes and clans in Ghana have a similar custom.
DayMale nameFemale name
Ɛdwoada Kwadwo, KojoAdwoa
Ɛbenada KwabenaAbena
Wukuada Kweku, KwakuAkua
Yawoada YawYaa
Efiada KofiAfia
Memenda/Memenada KwameAma
Kwasiada Akwasi, KwasiAsi, Akosua