Akan Language Research Articles

Examining the Metaphorical Extensions of hyɛ (a dress verb) in the Akan Language

In Akan culture, the act of getting dressed is typically expressed through the use of the verb hyԑ, meaning ‘wear’. This study thus examined the various literal and metaphorical interpretations of this verb in Akan communication. Through its ability to combine with different words, hyԑ can take on a wide range of meanings. The study drew data from the Legon-Zurich-Trondheim Akan Dictionary as well as interviews with four L1 speakers of Akan in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study was based on the Conceptual Metaphor Theory developed by Lakoff & Johnson. The verb hyԑ was used to derive some nominals through affixation and compounding. The evidence suggested that in addition to its basic meaning of dressing, the verb has taken on other metaphorical meanings such as being in a place, ordering/forcing someone, storing/preserving food, making something, covering, and bribing someone. These extended meanings of the verb, however, depend on the context in which the verb is used. This research has demonstrated that the dress verb is polysemous. It further concluded that when new words are derived from a verb, its basic meaning is either maintained or changes metaphorically. The study has implications for language learning since understanding the basic or metaphorical meaning of a word in a language impacts the understanding of the language in general. Keywords: Metaphorical extensions, dress verb, Akan language, Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Suicide in an Akan Language Novel

Suicide in fiction can promote insights into perceptions of, and attitudes about suicide ideation and behavior in a society. This article uses the novel Aku Sika as a case in point. Aku Sika is a novel set in Ghana in the 1950s. A young married woman attempts to end her life to avoid imminent disgrace. The king’s youngest wife, Aku, plots to commit suicide in response to rivalry and evil machinations of the king’s senior-most wife, S?kyeraa. Aku suffers from a hand deformity caused by a childhood accident and had been successfully hiding the deformity from public view. Due to her extraordinary beauty, the king selects her as a wife unbeknownst to him that she had a physical handicap, this in a society with a cultural prohibition barring kings from marrying physically handicapped brides. S?kyeraa swears under oath that she should be executed if it cannot be proven that Aku was not physically handicapped, A date was set for Aku to reveal her hand to the public. She decided to self-destruct rather than face public ignominy. On the banks of a major river where she planned to die by suicide, the river spirit appeared and healed her deformed hand.

Promoting Ghanaian languages: The role of telenovela series

Telenovelas have become an attractive form of entertainment for many Ghanaians largely because of the use of local Ghanaian languages as voice-overs during telecast. The question that arises is – Does the telecast of telenovelas in a local language play any role in the promotion of Ghanaian languages? Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, we explored the role of Telenovelas with voice-overs in the promotion of Ghanaian languages among residents of some communities in Accra, Ghana; specifically, Lapaz, Osu and Gbawe Mallam communities, University students and market women. Findings show that due to low English literacy levels, voice-over telenovelas were preferred among residents in Lapaz community and the market women. A privately-owned television station, Max TV, emerged as the station with a wider audience due to its innovative broadcasting strategy of voice-over Telenovelas using the Ghanaian (Akan) language. Overall, the telenovelas appear to be promoting the Akan language by exposing viewers to lexical knowledge, facilitating the acquisition of new vocabulary items, and shaping children’s learning of Akan. This paper, therefore, unearths the significance of glocalization of telenovelas in the promotion of local languages in Ghana.

A qualitative exploration of cognitive and sociocultural influences on postoperative pain among urological patients in Ghana

BackgroundPatients ascribe diverse meanings to postoperative pain (POP), usually based on personal beliefs. However, patients’ perceptions about the causes of pain are usually influenced by their traditional beliefs and misconceptions, and cultural factors such as ethnic background serve as barriers to effective pain control. The study sought to explore the cognitive and sociocultural aspects of postoperative pain experience after urological surgeries. MethodsThe study employed exploratory descriptive qualitative research design. Twelve male participants who had undergone urological surgery in a teaching hospital were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual face-to-face in-depth interviews, conducted in English and Akan languages. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, anonymity, and confidentiality were ensured. Concurrent data analysis was done engaging the processes of content analysis. FindingsCognitive aspects of the POP revealed three themes; the knowledge of the pain, attitude, and beliefs of the patients, and meanings the patients ascribed to the pain. Similarly, sociocultural aspects revealed two emerging themes; the family dynamics and roles influencing pain experience, and individual cultural background and belief systems. The participants’ diverse views and experiences influenced their pain expression and experience after urological surgery. ConclusionsPostoperative pain is a multidimensional experience and includes socio-cultural and cognitive aspects. Therefore, contemporary pain management strategies should focus on client-centered and culturally sensitive interventions.

Does Akan Literacy Influence Households’ Income?

ABSTRACT The empirical work in this article addresses the hypothesis that Akan literacy influences household income. The study utilizes data from the 2016/2017 Ghana Living Standards Survey and employs both ordinary least squares (OLS) and quantile regression model techniques. This study finds that literacy in Akan is associated with higher household income. Also, after accounting for ethnicity, returns to biliteracy in Akan and English are higher than returns to monoliteracy in English or Akan. The authors compared their main result and the results of the interaction of ethnicity and biliteracy. Findings showed higher returns to Akan households compared to non-Akan households. Akan literacy created a larger income differential within Akan households. The income gap was about 133% for the 10th quantile. Findings also indicated an income gap of about 35% for the same quantile between Akan and non-Akan households. These findings provide promising and encouraging evidence that comprehensive implementation of Akan and other indigenous Ghanaian language programs in Ghana can eliminate household income gaps and help individuals to fully utilize their human capital.

An Interoperability Mobile Application for Location and Travel Planning Services in Ghana

Mobility and access to social, economic, and cultural opportunities are facilitated by the availability of practical location data. Practical location data are scarce in Ghana and most of Sub-Sahara Africa where cities are typically characterized by informal settlements and a lack of standard address system. The problem is compounded by limited use of indigenous languages for travel services even though the majority of the population lacks familiarity with English. This study attempts to address these issues by developing a mobile app which takes advantage of local location data integrated into OpenStreetMap through Mapbox to provide location and travel planning services in English and indigenous Akan language The developed mobile app called ‘myTroski’ provides key capabilities to describe landmark information, find nearby landmarks, search and find, travel routing and planning, GPS assisted map use, and text and audio assisted navigation. The study shows the formalizing and modernizing location data from paratransit Trotro service and landmarks to mainstream local address systems.

A pilot study of the knowledge, awareness and perception of prostate cancer in Ghanaian women.

The African prostate cancer epidemiological trend has reported the late detection of the disease and resultant high mortality rate. Considering the economic position of the African continent, which often contributes to high mortality, it has become imperative to investigate cost-effective means of improving the timely detection of prostate cancer. This study, the third developmental phase of a robust Akan tool, aimed at conducting an external pilot survey to investigate the practicability of the tool in studying prostate cancer awareness in women. The study was conducted in one of the biggest markets in Ghana employing a quantitative approach and recruiting 400 females from the age of 18 years. Post-ethical approval and study subjects' consent, the participants randomly responded to the Akan tool and the data was electronically entered in the presence of the participants. The data, entered in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, were analysed with the SPSS software (version 25). The results were presented as frequencies and percentages, with an assessment of the tool's reliability. A Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.9030 was calculated. The majority (83.50%) of the participants belonged to the Akan tribe and were fluent in the Akan language. None of the knowledge items on the signs and symptoms, and risk factors of the disease had correct responses from more than 25.00% and 20.00% of the participants respectively whilst knowledge items on the causes of prostate cancer received varied responses. The participants were aware of the disease and had a positive perception. The pilot survey adequately tested the Akan tool and suggested various modifications to the tool and the study methodology. The tool exhibited acceptable reliability and could be applied to targeted populations to investigate the awareness of prostate cancer in women.

The conceptual framing of time in Mfantse

The notion of time is common and duly recognized by all people and all languages in the world. However, our perception and conceptualization of time, as evidenced in recent disputing arguments, is not the same across all human languages and cultures. This is probably because time is neither a tangible nor a visible phenomenon. The main objective of this study is to examine the qualities or properties of source domains highlighted by the linguistic expressions used to talk about time in Mfantse, a dialect of the Akan language. (Akan is a Kwa language spoken by a large group of people called Akans and generally mutually intelligible among its widely varied dialects.) I investigate the conceptualizations underlying the concept of time in the Mfantse dialect of Akan by drawing linguistic expressions from texts (the Mfantse Bible), songs, a radio programme broadcast in Mfantse. The study confirms the recognition and acknowledgement of the notion of time in Mfantse and reveals some interesting kinds of metaphors underlying the conceptualization of time within the language, some of which include TIME IS FOOD and TIME IS AN ENEMY.

RECEIVING TRAINING TO TEACH THE 'PROHIBITED LANGUAGE: THE ATTITUDE OF STUDENT TEACHERS MAJORING IN A GHANAIAN LANGUAGE (AKAN) IN THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN GHANA

Lecturers, teachers, and students often consider students majoring in indigenous languages in Ghana as academically weak. However, some students still pursue it as a major in the Colleges of Education in Ghana. The present study investigates the attitude of student teachers majoring in an indigenous language Akan in the Colleges of Education in Ghana. To do so, three colleges, namely, St. Joseph's College of Education, Abetifi Presbyterian College of Education, and Fosu College of Education, were purposefully selected. A total of 212 students comprising 101 males and 111 females were recruited for the study. The data were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that most participants have a positive attitude toward the study of Akan in general at the College of Education level. Similarly, student teachers' attitude toward majoring in Akan was positive since the overwhelming majority are not perturbed by the stigma associated with studying the Akan language in general. Finally, although a slight majority believed that they would allow their loved ones to pursue Akan in the future, other responses indicated participants had diverse opinions. This attitude will go a long way to change the negative perceptions others have about the study of indigenous languages in Ghana.

An Akan Translation, Validation and Reliability of a Questionnaire for assessing Awareness of Ghanaian women on Prostate Cancer

Objectives: The study aimed to: (1) adopt, modify and develop a questionnaire suitable for data collection on prostate cancer in the female population, (2) translate the questionnaire into the Akan language, and (3) conduct a validity and reliability analysis on the Akan questionnaire. Methods: An English version questionnaire was developed and adequately translated into an Akan version according to the forward and backward translation protocols. The Akan questionnaire went through translator-approval and certification. Validity and reliability analysis were performed on the questionnaire. Statistical analysis for face validity involved the determination of average scores while content validity involved the determination of the content validity index. Regarding reliability analysis, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the test and retest periods of study. Results: A forty-five (45) membered Akan questionnaire was successfully developed and certified. The average scores for all parameters employed in the face validation were greater than 4. The content validity index was within the range of 0.90 - 0.99 while the Cronbach’s alpha for both test periods was within the range of 0.7808 - 0.9209. Conclusion: The Akan questionnaire had acceptable validity and reliability outcome. Therefore, the questionnaire was considered appropriate for assessing knowledge, awareness, and perception of Ghanaian women of prostate cancer.

Measuring Disability in Consumers of mental health services - psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in Ghana.

The World Health Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS-2.0) has widely been accepted as the standard measure of disability. However, psychometric testing is mostly performed in developed countries. This paper aims to assess the psychometric properties (reliability, validity) of the WHODAS-2.0 among consumers of mental health services in Ghana. Two translators (expert in English language and Akan language) performed forward and backward translation of the WHODAS-2.0 from English language to Ghanaian language (Twi). A total of 510 consumers of mental health services were recruited consecutively to complete the WHODAS-2.0 using RedCAP. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyse the data. All domains in the 6-factor solutions had excellent internal consistency (ω=0.90-0.98), sufficient convergent validity and had satisfactory discriminant validity except for domain on participation. The CFA model confirmed that the data had a good model fit, CFI=0.97, TLI=0.96, RMESA=0.05, RMR=0.03; NFI=0.94; χ2 =1243.8, df=529, P<0.001. Although the WHODAS 2.0 had satisfactory psychometric properties and was thus considered to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing disability and level of functioning in consumers of mental health services, researchers and clinicians should re-consider items within the participation domain. Also, practitioners are encouraged to integrate the WHODAS-2.0 into the collection of data on clinical outcomes, as well as, collecting data on government social protection intervention programmes for consumers.

Language and Communication Impact of Hypertension: A Qualitative Study.

Background. Hypertension (HTN) is the second main source of outpatient morbidity in Ghana, and the understanding of a disease is necessary for its prevention and management. Language and communication are contributing factors to HTN in Ghana. No studies have been conducted to assess knowledge/awareness of HTN (in the context of its understanding) among students in Ghana. Following a local name for HTN in Ghana, researchers interviewed students through a focus group to assess their understanding/perception (meaning, cause, and prevention) of the disease. Available literature has concerned itself with clients' knowledge of their condition (diagnosis) rather than their comprehension of the true nature of what HTN is. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge/awareness of HTN in the context of its understanding of the meaning, perception, causes, and prevention of hypertension among students of Ghana's Senior High School (Second Cycle). Semistructured interviews with the use of the theme lists were employed. Focus group conversations and interviews were held in the local Akan (Twi) language, which was later translated, interpreted, and analyzed. Overall, 25 second-cycle students participated. 60% were between 15 and 17 years, 24% were ≥18 years, and 16% were <15 years of age. Males were 44% and females were 56%. Students gave diverse perceptions of their knowledge of HTN. The local language's translation of HTN has influenced and affected its meaning/understanding among some, thus affecting their perception of causes and prevention.

A Critical Study of Abba Ho Patēr in Romans 8:15 in the New Revised Asante Twi Version (2018)

Bible translation is among the difficult exercises in scholarship because it demands a careful analysis of the biblical text from the source language into the target language. The religio-cultural settings and worldview of the indigenous people are also considered so that they are able to access the word of God as written and meant by the author(s). An example of Bible translation exercise is the New Revised Asante Twi Version (NRATV) 2018, which contains some translation problems. Some texts are not translated but “carried wholly” into the new or target language to make them look as if they form part of the native language. One of such is “Abba,” which is a HebraicAramaic word found in Romans 8:15. Since Abba is not an Asante (and Akan) language, it becomes difficult for the Asante reading community (and by extension all Akan languages) and users of the Asante-Twi Bible to understand and express the concept within their religio-cultural worldview because they do not understand the thought of the author in their language. Using exegetical, mother-tongue hermeneutics and the communicative method of translation as approaches, the study has found out that the translation of …Αββα ὁ πατήρ (…Abba ho Patēr) as …Abba, Agya (…Abba, Father) in the Asante-Twi Bible (2018) should be rendered as “…Agya, M’agya” (Father, My Father). The study has thus added to the interpretations of Romans 8:15 in Asante-Twi. It is being recommended that in the future revision of the Asante-Twi Bible, the Bible Society of Ghana should consider using “…Agya, M’agya” (Father, My Father) in the translation of … Αββα ὁ πατήρ (…Abba ho Patēr).

Linguistic Surrogacy With Minimal Semantics Among the Dagomba of Ghana

This paper discusses critical questions on the processing of non-native surrogate languages of the Dagbamba (Dagomba) of Ghana. The Dagbamba use the fiddle, talking drum and double bell to encode speech in Hausa, Akan and other languages they do not speak. Fiddling and talking drums are integral to their festivals, funerals, the installation of chiefs and other cultural events. These instruments are used to entertain, praise, and send messages ranging from daybreak notifications to mobilizing people for war. The surrogate language they produce is a specialized language, interpreted mainly by people deeply rooted in their culture. It indicates nobility and statesmanship. While the performers and their patrons do not understand Akan or Hausa, they process and communicate with Akan and Hausa surrogate languages. The maintenance of the languages of performance is part of the practitioners’ desire to preserve the cultural heritage of Dagbamba. This raises questions about the acquisition of these surrogate languages, the level of accuracy of production and comprehension, the role of music in the processing and the implications of these for linguistic theory. These questions are discussed on the basis of data from recorded interviews of talking drummers and fiddlers. The overarching goal is to highlight the gaps in our understanding of language processing that surface in the study of surrogate language, when processing takes place with a poverty of grammatical content.

Proverbs and stylistic devices of Akwasi Ampofo Agyei’s Akan highlife lyrics

This paper examines the stylistic features and proverbs in ɔba nyansafo wɔbu no bɛ na wɔnka no asɛm, ‘A wise child is spoken to in proverbs’ a popular Ghanaian highlife song by the late Akwasi Ampofo Agyei. This is an area which is still grey in the study of highlife music. The paper basically adopted qualitative methodology through interviews and recordings. The paper combines the theories of language ideology and ethnomusicology, and looks at the indispensable, didactic and communicative functions of stylistic devices and proverbs in Akan highlife. These tropes as forms of indirection help the musicians to comment on very delicate issues. They depict the musician’s communicative competence in the Akan language, cultural beliefs, worldview and social structures. The paper further reflects on the relative absence of proverbs in current Ghanaian highlife. The stylistic devices and proverbs in the song are subjected to ethnomusicological, stylistic and pragmatic analysis.

Theoretical Underpinnings of Wiredu’s Empiricalism

Abstract Wiredu uses the term ‘empiricalism’ to characterise a mode of thinking that is essentially empirical in orientation but admits non-transcendental metaphysical categories and existents into its systems of thought. Wiredu finds evidence of this mode of thinking in the Akan language, characterising the main linguistic community in Ghana, West Africa. The central question addressed in this essay is this: is empiricalism a plausible system in the sense that it carries universal validity and intelligibility? I argue that the plausibility and universality of empiricalism is evident in Wiredu’s logical syntactic and semantic principles which he recruits to investigate the contrast between basic categories of discursive thought such as signification and reference, concept and object, and the notion of ‘existence’. These analyses underpin the central theses of his empiricalism. Such detailed investigations demonstrate that the attractiveness of empiricalism is dependent upon theoretical principles other than, and in addition to, the linguistic evidence that Akan everyday usage provides. Thus the essay demonstrates a basic contrast between Wiredu’s philosophical investigation of language versus many standard works of African philosophy that constitute essentially in-depth studies in sociolinguistics.

Rounding Harmony in Mfantse: Evidence and Differences

This paper investigated rounding harmony in two subdialects of Mfantse spoken in the Central Region of Ghana. Bɔrbɔr and Edwumako dialects are part of the Akan language and belongs to Kwa on the Niger-Congo branch of languages. Data was from the Mfantseman and Edwumako districts from 45 participants aged 20 years and above. The Autosegmental framework was used for data analysis. We looked first at the sounds and brought out the differences between Bɔrbɔr sounds and that of Edwumako. The study established that Mfantse is not the same in all its phonological presentations in all its subdialects. In terms of sound distribution, the central unadvanced vowel is strictly word final in Bɔrbɔr while it is both word initial and final in Edwumako. Some aspects of rounding harmony occur in both Bɔrbɔr and Edwumako while other aspects occur in Bɔrbɔr and partially in Edwumako. Other aspects are present in Edwumako only.

Of the Akan people: Colour and design education in Ghana

This article digests some of the general ideas that constitute the concept of colour among the Akan people of Ghana and how their proper understanding and desirable consideration will enhance effective visual communication in the Ghanaian visual arts curriculum. The investigation, which involved a number of conversations with knowledgeable personalities in the teaching and speaking of the Akan language, sought to bring out the perceptions, beliefs and functions of colour among the people. The outcome of the study pointed to how colour resides deeply within the traditional lives of the Akan people, not only as aesthetical experience but also as an ‘object’ of cultural and spiritual signification. The study therefore recommends a proper understanding of and conscious respect to the perceptions and meanings of colour among contemporary Akan designers and design educators to improve the design experience of teachers, learners and practitioners.

Language Choice Among Commuter Bus Conductors (Drivers' Mates) and Passengers at Kumasi Kejetia Bus Terminal, Ghana

This research aims to examine the language used by the commuter bus conductors and passengers moving to and from Kejetia bus terminal in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. This research basically focuses on sociolinguistics approach. The source of the data is purely the utterances of the bus conductors and the passengers on board in the commuter buses. Observation and recording were used as the data collection instruments in the study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data gathered. The study found Asante Twi dialect as the most dominant language choice of the majority of the sampled population (passengers and drivers' mates). The use of unmarked code switching in conversational discourse was not uncommon among participants. Finally, the study found English language to be the second most dominant language choice in the participants' verbal discourse. The implication is that apart from Akan language, all the other seven languages stand the risk of experiencing language shift leading to eventual language death should the ethnic groups concerned fail to maintain their languages.

Editorial Book Critique: The Origin of the Word Amen

The Origin of the Word Amen: Ancient Knowledge the Bible has Never Told is a book that promises to excite the interest of any reader interested in classical Kmt ‘Black Nation/Land of the Blacks’, mdw nTr ‘Hieroglyphs,’ the Akan language, and historical/linguistic connections between the three. Specifically, the book promises to deliver information about how the word imn ‘Amen,’ as attested in classical Kmt ‘Black Nation/Land of the Blacks,’ persists in the contemporary Akan language. While, under a steady hand this should be a simple enough thesis to substantiate, unfortunately, the authors’ obvious lack of grounding in historical linguistics, their lack of knowledge of mdw nTr ‘Hieroglyphs’ as well as their lack of understanding the morphology (word structure) of the Akan language all mar the analyses presented in the book.