Asante Twi is the language of the Asante. It belongs to the Akan group and is one of the three main literary varieties of Twi–Fante, alongside Akuapem Twi and Fante. It is written in the Latin alphabet with two extra letters: ɛ (like the "e" in "bed") and ɔ (like the open "o" in "port"). Its spelling is overseen by the Akan Orthography Committee. It is a tonal language: pitch distinguishes words.
Baoulé in Côte d'Ivoire is a related Akan language (see The Baoulé People), though not identical to Twi.
Greetings and Politeness
| Twi | English |
|---|---|
| Akwaaba | Welcome |
| Maakye | Good morning |
| Maaha | Good afternoon |
| Maadwo | Good evening / good night |
| Ɛte sɛn? | How are you? |
| Me ho yɛ | I am fine |
| Medaase | Thank you |
| Aane / Daabi | Yes / No |
Counting from One to Ten
| Number | Twi |
|---|---|
| 1 | baako |
| 2 | mmienu |
| 3 | mmiɛnsa |
| 4 | nnan |
| 5 | nnum |
| 6 | nsia |
| 7 | nson |
| 8 | nwɔtwe |
| 9 | nkron |
| 10 | edu |
Day Names
Among the Akan, a child is given a name tied to the day of the week on which they are born. A boy born on a Friday is Kofi, a girl born on a Thursday is Yaa — like Yaa Asantewaa. Many Asantehenes carry these names: Kofi Karikari, Kwaku Dua, Osei Yaw Akoto, Kwame…
| Day (Twi) | Day | Boy | Girl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwasiada | Sunday | Kwasi | Akosua |
| Dwoada | Monday | Kwadwo | Adwoa |
| Benada | Tuesday | Kwabena | Abena |
| Wukuada | Wednesday | Kwaku | Akua |
| Yawoada | Thursday | Yaw | Yaa |
| Fiada | Friday | Kofi | Afua |
| Memeneda | Saturday | Kwame | Ama |
Not to be confused with the Baoulé: in Baoulé country, Koffi is given to a boy born on a Saturday, whereas the Asante Kofi was born on a Friday. See the comparison table.
Proverbs and Wisdom
Twi is a language of proverbs (mmɛbusɛm), which also adorn the gold weights, kente and adinkra symbols (see Culture & Kente).
"Obi nkyerɛ abɔfra Nyame."
Akan proverb
No one teaches a child about God.
"Sɛ wo werɛ fi na wosankɔ fa a, yɛnkyi."
Akan proverb — the spirit of Sankofa
It is not wrong to go back for what you forgot. (Common spelling.)
The tales of Ananse, the cunning spider, form one of the great oral traditions: the Anansesem.
Some Adinkra Symbols
Adinkra symbols express maxims in pictures. Here are six of them, in a stylized rendering: