Anglicized place names in Ghana: The case of towns in the Tarkwa Mining Area

Abstract

This paper studies the original native names of some towns in the Tarkwa Mining Area in the Western Region of Ghana. The objective is to rediscover their meanings and why and how the original native names were changed to the current documented ones. It is a study of Ghanaian toponymy as human settlement. The authors interviewed chiefs/subchiefs, natives and other knowledgeable persons, who are the custodians of the unwritten literature behind the names, which have been transmitted orally by the natives from generation to generation. The study finds that the original native names in Akan derive from names of rivers, cherished historical events and important persons and that the change from the native names to the current documented names arises from European influence in two main forms: unconscious use of non-Akan (anglicized) spelling, or conscious replacement of the Akan native names. The change has led to the dilution or obliteration of Ghanaian literature and culture. Today, the original native names and their meanings are lost or getting lost on society, owing to use of the “foreignized” names in written documents. It is recommended that Ghana reverts to use the original native names to preserve the related literature and historical significance.