You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 34.205.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪ST47‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a web host's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and they should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 05:44, 30 September 2026.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 05:38, 21 February 2024
- Expiry of block: 05:38, 21 February 2029
Your current IP address is 34.205.92.177. The blocked range is 34.205.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Short description|Dialect of the Akan language in Ghana))
((Other uses|TWI (disambiguation)))
((Distinguish|Tiwi language))
((Infobox language
| name             = Twi
| altname          = Akwapem Twi
| pronunciation    = ((IPA|tw|tɕᶣi|))
| states           = [[Ghana]]
| region           = [[Ashanti Region]]
| ethnicity        = ((Unbulleted list|[[Asante people|Asante]]|[[Akuapem people|Akuapem]]|[[Bono people|Bono]]))
| speakers         = ((sigfig|4.446000|2)) million
| date             = 2013
| ref              = e27
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam1             = [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]?
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Kwa languages|Kwa]]
| fam4             = [[Potou–Tano languages|Potou–Tano]]
| fam5             = [[Tano languages|Tano]]
| fam6             = [[Central Tano languages|Central Tano]]
| fam7             = [[Akan language|Akan]]
| dia1             = [[Asante dialect|Asante]]
| dia2             = [[Akuapem dialect|Akuapem]]
| dia3             = [[Bono dialect|Bono]]
| script           = [[Latin alphabet|Latin]]
| nation           = [[Ashanti Region]]
| minority         = [[Ghana]]
| agency           = [[Akan Orthography Committee]]
| iso1             = tw
| iso2             = twi
| iso3             = twi
| iso3comment = (see [aka] for ''Ethnologue'' description)<!--iso3 code only exists because there's an iso2 code; not considered a distinct language by Ethnologue-->
| glotto           = akan1251
| glottorefname    = Akan
| notice           = IPA
))
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Raphael speaking Twi.webm|thumb|A man speaking Twi.|right]]
'''Twi''' (((IPA|tw|tɕᶣi|))) is a [[Variety (linguistics)|variety]] of the [[Akan languages]] 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 4.4 million speakers.<ref name=e27/>

Twi is a common name for [[mutually intelligible]] former literary dialects of the Akan language of [[Bono dialect|Bono]], [[Asante dialect|Asante]] and [[Akuapem dialect|Akuapem]].<ref>((Cite book|last1=Arhin|first1=Kwame|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9gJAQAAIAAJ&q=twi|title=A Profile of Brong Kyempim: Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana|last2=Studies|first2=University of Ghana Institute of African|date=1979|publisher=Afram|language=en))</ref><ref name="grammar-Asante">((Cite book|last=Christaller|first=Johann Gottlieb|url=https://archive.org/details/agrammarasantea00chrigoog|title=A Grammar of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi Chwee, Twi Based on the Akuapem Dialect with Reference to the Other (Akan and Fante) Dialects|date=1875|publisher=Printed for the Basel evang. missionary society|others=Harvard University|language=en))</ref><ref name=":0">Jane Garry, Carl R. Galvez Rubino, "Facts about the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present", H.W. Wilson, USA, 2001, page 8</ref> Akuapem, as the first Akan variety to be used for Bible translation, has become the prestige dialect as a result.<ref name="omniglot">((cite web|last1=Ager|first1=Simon|title=Omniglot|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/twi.htm|access-date=11 January 2015))</ref> It is also spoken by the people of southeastern [[Côte d'Ivoire]].<ref name="ethnologue">((Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/aka|title=Akan|website=Ethnologue|language=en|access-date=2019-12-25))</ref><ref name="grammar-Asante"/><ref name="dacb">((Cite web|url=https://dacb.org/stories/ghana/christaller-j/|title=Christaller, Johannes Gottlieb|last=Ofosu-Appiah|first=L. H.|date=1998|website=Dictionary of African Christian Biography))</ref>
It generally subsumes the following dialects: Ahafo, Akuapem, [[Akyem]], Asante, Asen, Dankyira and [[Kwahu|Kwawu]].<ref>((e25|aka))</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name 'Twi' is derived from the name of a [[Bono people|Bono]] king, [[Nana Baffuor Twi]].<ref>((Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ExJPAQAAMAAJ&q=Bafuo+Twi|title=The Akan of Ghana: Their Ancient Beliefs|date=1958|publisher=Faber & Faber|language=en))</ref>

== Phonology ==
=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
! <small>voiced</small>
| ((IPAlink|m)) ((grapheme|m))
| ((IPAlink|n)) ((grapheme|n))
|
|
| ((IPAlink|ɲ)) ((grapheme|ny, n))
| ((IPAlink|ŋ)) ((grapheme|ng, n))
|
|-
! <small>labialized</small>
|
| ((IPA|nʷ)) ((grapheme|nw))
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="3" | [[Stop consonant|Stop]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
! <small>voiced</small>
| ((IPAlink|b)) ((grapheme|b))
| ((IPAlink|d)) ((grapheme|d))
| ((IPAlink|d͡ʒ)) ((grapheme|dw))
|
| ((IPAlink|d͡ʑ)) ~ ((IPAlink|ɟ͡ʝ)) ((grapheme|gy))
| ((IPAlink|g)) ((grapheme|g))
|
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
| ((IPA|pʰ)) ((grapheme|p))
| ((IPA|tʰ)) ((grapheme|t))
|
|
| ((IPA|t͡ɕʰ)) ~ ((IPA|c͡çʰ)) ((grapheme|ky))
| ((IPA|kʰ)) ((grapheme|k))
|
|-
! <small>labialized</small>
|
|
|
|
| ((IPA|t͡ɕʷ)) ((grapheme|tw))
| ((IPA|kʷ)) ((grapheme|kw))
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! <small>voiceless</small>
| ((IPAlink|f)) ((grapheme|f))
| ((IPAlink|s)) ((grapheme|s))
|
|
| ((IPAlink|ç)) ((grapheme|hy))
|
| ((IPAlink|h)) ((grapheme|h))
|-
! <small>labialized</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ((IPA|hʷ)) ((grapheme|hw))
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
|
|
|
|
| ((IPAlink|j)) ((grapheme|y))
| ((IPAlink|w)) ((grapheme|w))
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Tap and flap consonants|Tap/Flap]]
|
| ((IPAlink|ɾ)) ((grapheme|r))
|
| ((IPAlink|ɽ)) ((grapheme|r))
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| ((IPAlink|r)) ((grapheme|r))
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
| ((IPAlink|l)) ((grapheme|l))
|
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="2" |
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Close vowel|Close]]
! <small>[[Advanced and retracted tongue root|+ATR]]</small>
|((IPA link|i))
|
|((IPA link|u))
|-
! <small>–ATR</small>
|((IPA link|ɪ))
|
|((IPA link|ʊ))
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
! <small>+ATR</small>
|((IPA link|e))
|
|((IPA link|o))
|-
! <small>–ATR</small>
|((IPA link|ɛ))
|
|((IPA link|ɔ))
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Open vowel|Open]]
! <small>+ATR</small>
|
|((IPA link|æ))
|
|-
! <small>–ATR</small>
|
|((IPA link|ɑ))
|
|-
|}

Front vowels additionally show a distinction in duration, where –ATR front vowels are shorter than their +ATR counterparts.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Kirkham |first1=Sam |last2=Nance |first2=Claire |title=An acoustic-articulatory study of bilingual vowel production: Advanced tongue root vowels in Twi and tense/lax vowels in Ghanaian English |journal=Journal of Phonetics |date=2017 |volume=62 |pages=65–81 |doi=10.1016/j.wocn.2017.03.004 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0095447016300638 |access-date=5 January 2024))</ref>

==== Tone ====
Twi has at least 5 tones:

* High tone: H
* Mid tone: M
* Low tone: L
* Rising tone: R
* Falling tone: F

However, when writing Twi using the Latin script, tone marks are not used.

==== Diphthongs ====
Twi contains the diphthongs ((ipa|/ao/)), ((ipa|/eɛ/)), ((ipa|/ei/)), ((ipa|/ia/)), ((ipa|/ie/)), ((ipa|/oɔ/)), ((ipa|/ue/)), and ((ipa|/uo/)).<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/akan.htm|title=Akan languages, alphabet and pronunciation|website=www.omniglot.com|access-date=2017-06-26))</ref>

==Orthography==
{| class="wikitable" 
|-
!Uppercase
|A
|B
|D
|E
|Ɛ
|F
|G
|H
|I
|K
|L
|M
|N
|O
|Ɔ
|P
|R
|S
|T
|U
|W
|Y
|-
!Lowercase
|a
|b
|d
|e
|ɛ
|f
|g
|h
|i
|k
|l
|m
|n
|o
|ɔ
|p
|r
|s
|t
|u
|w
|y
|}
The letters C, J, Q, V, X and Z are also used, but only in [[loanwords]].<ref>((Cite news|url=https://alnresources.wordpress.com/african-culture-and-language/|title=Language Guide|date=2013-05-14|work=The African Linguists Network Blog|access-date=2018-07-14|language=en-US))</ref>

== Naming system ==
The Akan peoples use a common [[Akan names|Akan (Ghana) naming 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.
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" colspan=2 | Day
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Male name
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Female name
|-
! English
! Akan
|-
| Monday
| ((lang|tw|Dwoada))
| ((lang|tw|Kwadwo, Kojo))
| ((lang|tw|Adwoa))
|-
| Tuesday
| ((lang|tw|Benada))
| ((lang|tw|Kwabena, Kobina))
| ((lang|tw|Abena))
|-
| Wednesday
| ((lang|tw|Wukuada))
| ((lang|tw|Kweku, Kwaku))
| ((lang|tw|Akua))
|-
| Thursday
| ((lang|tw|Yawoada))
| ((lang|tw|Yaw, Kwaw))
| ((lang|tw|Yaa))
|-
| Friday
| ((lang|tw|Fiada))
| ((lang|tw|Kofi))
| ((lang|tw|Afia/Afua))
|-
| Saturday
| ((lang|tw|Memeneda))
| ((lang|tw|Kwame))
| ((lang|tw|Ama))
|-
| Sunday
| ((lang|tw|Kwasiada))
| ((lang|tw|Akwasi, Kwasi, Kwesi))
| ((lang|tw|Asi, Akosua, Esi))
|}

== References ==
((reflist))

== External links ==
((InterWiki|code=tw))
((Wikivoyage|Twi phrasebook|Twi|a phrasebook))
* ((Ethnologue22|aka|Akan))<!-- It looks like a bug, but Ethnologue currently doesn't have an entry for the twi code. -->
* [https://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/twi Language resources] at LangMedia (Five College Center for World Languages)
* [http://www.akan.org/akan_cd/ALIAKAN/course/U-Akan.html Akan basic course]
* [https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_akn Bibliography of structural properties of the Twi language] at WALS Online (The World Atlas of Language Structures)
* [https://zenodo.org/record/4432117#.Yj0bIOfMKUk Akuapem Twi to English Parallel Text Dataset]
((Ashanti topics|expanded))
((Languages of Ghana))
((Kwa languages))
((Authority control))

[[Category:Ashanti people]]
[[Category:Akan]]
[[Category:Akan language]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Ashanti Region (edit)
Twi (edit)
Template:Angle bracket (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ashanti topics (edit)
Template:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Both (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Chr (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite journal (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite news (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Closed access (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Template:Country topics (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Distinguish (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:E25 (edit)
Template:Endangered Languages Project (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ethnologue22 (edit)
Template:Ethnologue25 (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Ethnologue27 (edit)
Template:Glottolink (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Grapheme (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:IPA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:IPA link (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Template:IPAlink (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:ISO 639-1 (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:ISO 639-2 (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Icon (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:If empty (view source) (protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox language (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox language/family-color (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox language/linguistlist (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox language/ref (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:InterWiki (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Ipa (edit)
Template:Kwa languages (edit)
Template:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Languages of Ghana (edit)
Template:Longitem (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Nowrap (view source) (protected)
Template:Order of magnitude (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Other uses (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Round (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sigfig (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Significant figures (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Significant figures/rnd (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sister project (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Str index (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Str len (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:Unbulleted list (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Wikidata (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Wikivoyage (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Wrap (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Authority control/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Distinguish (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:EditAtWikidata (view source) (protected)
Module:Endangered Languages Project (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Exponential search (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Format link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote list (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:IPA (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:IPA/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:IPA symbol (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Module:IPA symbol/data (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Module:ISO 639 name (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Icon (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Icon/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If empty (view source) (protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/ISO 639 synonyms (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/ISO 639-1 (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/ISO 639-3 (dep) (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/ISO 639 deprecated (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana languages (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana regions (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana suppressed scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana variants (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:List (view source) (protected)
Module:Math (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Other uses (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:Redirect (view source) (protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Unicode data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unicode data/scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wd (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wd/i18n (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Twi.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twi"