THE BOWIRE OR TUWULI SPEAKING PEOPLE OF THE OTI REGION

 

The people of Bowire consisted of seemingly two distinct tribes; the Asebu whom we had learnt about from the Ahanta story and the Bunyukutu-Kpaletor who are the aboriginals. The Asebu migrated from Moree in the Central Region. The Kpaletor people had their own language that they speak. They came to meet the Ayade or Akposso people hence with time they established close linguistic relationship. The name of their land then was Kokpaase-Ofo. They spoke the Tuwuli or the Tora language.

According to one Mensah Evelyn, the people of Asebu used to live at present day Moree. They were then under two leaders, Nana Amanfi I, the Asebu leader and Nana Kwagya who founded Moree. They were Akans who spoke the Akan language. It is also said according to Fante and Bowire sides of the story that the Asebu people consisted of three clans; Alata, Nkum and Benti. The people of Alata were believed to have more authority than the other tribes and this caused so much unrest among the clans since they were not happy with the leadership of the Alata people. The unrest led to their separation.

It happened that the clan leader of Nkum passed away and they had “a duty” to pay to the Alata clan by giving them palm wine since they were the owners of the burial grounds. The Nkum clan failed to do so and this led to a quarrel among the two clans which ended up in a conflict. The people of Asebu-Nkum were forced to migrate to the east. They settled near a forest in the present Bowire territory where they thought it wise to be a safe place to make settlement and that it will virtually ensure that they have peace.

The people of Asebu-Nkum first settled on the mountainous regions of the place. They then had to fight the indigenous Banyukutu people because they were not willing to share the lands with anyone. The war was named Bowire, which is now used to refer to both the Asebu and Banyukutu people. Other sources also indicated that Bowire is a corruption of Moree because when the Asebus were asked where they came from; they would say they came from Moree.

Presently, the Akans of Asebu and the Kpaletor people live together as one people speaking the current Bowire or Tuwuli or Tora language. The original Tora language was blended with the then Asebu-Fante into a new language. Their language is not vowel toned though. It is direct toned but some Twi words cut across. There is no difference among them now and they are living together as one people.

Bowire is a very unique language with borrowings from Buem, Likpe and Siwu. Bowire is situated few minutes from Akpafu heading towards Jasikan. Bowire is the one of the most unique languages among the GTM languages aside Ikposso and Gidere and it is an Oti-GTM language (Ghana-Togo Mountain language).

The principal Bowire communities are in this order Bowire-Amanfrom, Bowire-Anyinase, Bowire-Kyiriahini, Bowire-Takrabe, Bowire-Abohire, Bowire-Aboabo, Kwamekrom and Bowire-Odumase.

COMMON COURTESY IN TUWULI (BOWIRE)

FULꜪTSA	KATUNAA	WORD	RESPONSE
Ɔwã?	Owã!	How are you?	I am fine!
Ma wɔna n’ɔ?	Ntunaa!	Greetings!	I respond!
Ndeŋɛ nɔ fu kanakana!	Baguma sun bɔwa!	How is everything?	By His Grace!
Asukolo!	Amɔkɔna!	Good morning!	Good morning!
Aju!	Ayahũ!	Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Aju!	Ayahũ!	Good evening!	Good evening!
Manyɛ nɔkɔlɛ!	kɔlɛ lɛ la!	Thank you!	Do not mention!
Makeno adole!		I beg you!
Ɔfɔ!	aa!	Welcome!	Thank you!