KNOW GHANA BETTER WITH HUNIAH

The Nzema Language: Voice of Ghana’s Western Shores The Nzema language—also called Appolo by Ivorians—is a member of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken mainly in Ghana’s Western Region and parts of Ivory Coast, where it connects communities across borders. For the Nzema people, the language is not just a means of communication — it is a living archive of history, identity, and culture. --- Where It’s Spoken In Ghana, Nzema is spoken along the western coast, particularly in areas such as Axim, Ahomu, Half Assini, Esiama, and Ellembelle. Across the border in Côte d’Ivoire, Nzema-speaking communities are also found near Assinie and several surrounding towns. This wide geographic spread makes Nzema not just a Ghanaian language but a cross-border heritage tongue. --- Dialects Nzema has several dialects, including: Evalue – spoken around Axim, Agyamra, and surrounding areas Ellembelle Jomoro – often considered Nzema proper Despite minor differences in pronunciati...

When we speak of Ghana’s linguistic wealth, our minds often drift to Akan, Ewe, Ga, or Hausa. Yet tucked along the southwest coast, from Sekondi to Takoradi to Princes Town, lives a language that has sailed through centuries of trade, colonial encounters, pressure and cultural exchange, and that is the Ahanta language. Who Speaks Ahanta? Ahanta natively known as Ayindaa is the native tongue of the Ahanta people, a Guan-Akan related ethnic group with a proud maritime heritage. Historical records show that the Ahanta formed a powerful coastal confederacy long before colonial rule. Today, an estimated 175,000–300,000 people still speak the language, though many are also fluent in Fante or Nzema. Family & Origins Linguistically, Ahanta belongs to the Tano subgroup of the Kwa languages branch in the Niger–Congo family. This means it shares distant roots with Akan languages like Twi and Fante as well as Guan languages like Larteh, Efutu, Ntsumburun yet it has its own distinct vocabulary,...

Dangme Language: The Voice of The Eastern Part of The Greater-Accra Region  By Huniah Tetteh In the eastern stretch of Ghana’s coastline, beyond the bustling streets of Accra, you’ll find a language that sings with history, identity, and tradition — Dangme. Spoken by the Dangme people, this language connects communities, preserves ancient wisdom, and stands as a proud marker of cultural heritage. Let’s dive into the origins, uniqueness, and present-day life of the Dangme language. Dangme is more closer to the Old Ga language than the modern Ga. Dangme is the original soul of the Ga language.  It is a Kwa languages in the Niger-Congo family. It is closely related to Ga, though the two are not mutually intelligible. Together, Ga and Dangme make up the Ga–Dangme group, reflecting shared ancestry and historical ties. For centuries, the Dangme language has been the primary medium of expression for communities along the eastern part of Ghana’s Greater Accra and Eastern Regions. Dang...

The Ga Language: The Heartbeat of Accra By Huniah Tetteh When you walk through the streets of Accra, you’ll hear the sounds of many tongues. But one language in particular carries the soul of the city and that is the Gã language. It’s more than just a language. It’s a living piece of history, a symbol of identity, and a rich cultural legacy passed down through generations. In this post, we explore the fascinating world of the Ga language — where it comes from, who speaks it, and why it still matters today. --- Ga is one of the major indigenous languages of Ghana, spoken mainly by the Ga people who live in and around Accra. It’s part of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family — one of the largest language families in Africa. While Ga is closely related to Dangme, the two are not mutually intelligible. Together, they form the Ga–Dangme group, a linguistic reflection of the Ga-Dangme people’s shared heritage. --- 🗺️ Where Is Ga Spoken? Ga is spoken primarily in: Jamestown Osu L...

The people of Badu, also called Nkoraen by the Bono people, call their language Kulange or Kulango. They are a group of Senufo speakers found within the Tain district of the Bono-Ahafo region of Ghana. They originated from Angayi and Gyeribaba in the ancient Bouna Kingdom in present day Ivory Coast; where they left due to constant fighting. They were not the only tribe that left but then other tribes followed. Oral history of the Badu names one Seikwa who has been entrusted with particular duties to assist the paramount chief administrate a kingdom.   When they migrated from Bouna, Seikwa in the course of time established his own kingdom. From Bouna-Angayi, they settled at Nyimpeano near Sampa (present day Nafaana land) under the leadership of Nnyenge Sagbani who was their first chief. He died of old age and was succeeded by Singe Hennie (alias Aduro Barima) who also died of old age and was succeeded by Samade (or Akrosuma-Agyentadua). Samade fought many kingdoms in other to e...

  The story of the Gonjas will make sense to one if one reads the entire story of the Guans in the book KNOW GHANA BETTER From the Mande areas in Eastern Senegal which is quite close to Mali, the broken-off clan from the Shuoyi tribe decided to migrate. They migrated down to Ghana under the leadership of their warlord Ndewura Sumaila Jakpa. Kagbanye is the traditional name for this group of people and Kagbanye simply means “brave men”. The Kagbanye speak Ngbanye and it has been influenced by the Mande ethnic languages of ancient Senegal. Nevertheless, Mande languages do not make up the core vocabulary of Ngbanye. The core vocabulary of Ngbanye is purely Guan whereas few Mandingo, Senufo and Mande loan words have been borrowed into the language to improve the vocabulary structure of Ngbanye. It is also interesting to note that Senufo and Mande vocabulary have also found their way into the other Northern Guan languages via Ngbanye. For instance, all Northern Guan languages with t...

  The Bono are Akans who occupy the Bono Region and the Bono-East Region of Ghana. They speak the Bono-Twi dialect. Bono-Twi is an Akan dialect which uses the Fante or Guan accent in speaking perhaps due to historical reasons. The name Bono is traced to a place at Nkoranza also in the Bono-East Region where they are believed to have sought shelter according to oral sources. The ancestors of Bonoman are said to have lived beneath a cave for some time for which the name Bono later came to refer to the whole of the Bono tribe. A hole is said as bono in the Bono dialect so then, Bonofo would mean “people who were living underground.” They lived with the Ahantas and other Guans. One day, the Asantes attacked them, according to Sarkodie Sylvester of Nkoranza, but the Bono people would not give in easily. The Ahantas and other Guans migrated south to find a peaceful place to be at. Subsequently, Asantes made peace with the Bono people and made settlements among them. Bono is currently ...