Twi
/twiː/noun
A group of closely related Akan languages spoken mainly in Ghana and parts of Côte d’Ivoire.
Did you know?Twi is not a single uniform speech variety: Asante Twi and Akuapem Twi are its best-known major forms, and Twi has played a central role in Ghanaian oral tradition, proverbs, and sacred storytelling.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Akan
Twi
“The traditional name used for a major Akan language variety; the word’s deeper lexical origin is uncertain.”
17th–18th Century
Akan
Asante Twi
“The Twi variety associated with the rising Asante state in present-day Ghana.”
18th–19th Century
Akan
Akuapem Twi
“A major Twi variety associated with Akuapem in southeastern Ghana.”
19th Century
English
Twi
“English-language records adopted Twi as the name for the Akan language varieties encountered in the Gold Coast.”
20th Century
English
Twi
“Twi became an established linguistic and educational term, especially for Asante Twi and Akuapem Twi.”
Modern English
English
Twi
“A recognized name for a group of Akan languages spoken primarily in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.”