| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Abusua | Matrilineal clan; descent and inheritance flow through the mother. |
| Adehyee | Royal, aristocratic and land-owning elite. |
| Adinkra | Stamped cloth whose symbols encode Akan maxims. |
| Akuafo | Free citizen cultivators and commoners. |
| Akwaaba | Welcome (Twi greeting). |
| Akwasidae | Ritual ceremonies recurring in the Akan calendar, held around the Asantehene. |
| Amantuo | The Akan states united by Osei Tutu I. |
| Ankobia | Internal security force and royal bodyguard. |
| Asantehemaa | The Queen Mother; nominates the Golden Stool candidate. |
| Asantehene | The paramount ruler of the Asante. |
| Asanteman | The Asante nation: the traditional union of Asante states. |
| Awowa | Pawnship: temporary service to secure a debt. |
| Dampan | Open, elevated loggia of a Kumasi house. |
| Ejisuhemaa | Queen Mother of Ejisu — the title held by Yaa Asantewaa. |
| Kente | Narrow-strip woven cloth from Bonwire, for royalty and sacred use. |
| Manhyia | The Asantehene's palace in Kumasi. |
| Mponponsuo | Sword of Anokye embedded in Kumasi's soil. |
| Mrammou | Brass Akan gold weights, often visual proverbs. |
| Nana | Title of respect for chiefs, elders and ancestors. |
| Nkwantempon | The Great Roads radiating from Kumasi. |
| Nsɛbɛ | Talismanic amulets, often with Quranic verses. |
| Ntam Kɛseɛ | The Great Oath, transferring a case to the Asantehene's court. |
| Odonko | Enslaved person, by capture or purchase. |
| Oseikrom | "Osei's town": a nickname of Kumasi. |
| Otumfuo | Royal title of the Asantehene, "the powerful one". |
| Sankofa | "Go back and fetch it": learn from the past. |
| Sika Dwa Kofi | The Golden Stool, soul of the Asante nation. |
| Sika futuro | Gold dust used as currency. |
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/ Glossary of Asante & Akan Terms
Glossary of Asante & Akan Terms
Key Akan words used across the encyclopedia.