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Afrikan Language Institute => Akan (Twi) Language Resources => Topic started by: KwameD on Oct 27, 2010, 09:31 PM

Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid40988
Post by: KwameD on Oct 27, 2010, 09:31 PM
Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din
  (Names of the 12 months and the 42 days in the Akan calendar)

This short write up was created from the book Asantesɛm ne Mmɛbusɛm written by J. E. Mensah in 1966 and was published by the Kumasi Cultural Centre. This book is amazing. It's written entirely in Asante Twi. It's got 1123 proverbs, names for "old money" and all the names of the 77 (reportedly wide and major) streets that were in Kumasi before eureurasiaans came to the coast.  
 
 Below are names for aspects of the Akan calendar (12 months, 4 seasons, a name for each of the 42 days in the Akan calendar and the days of the week).

[A] Asranee/Abosome Dummienu (12 months of the year; year is 'Afe' or 'Afenhyia')

            Akan
         
            English
         
            ɔpepɔn
         
            January
         
            ɔgyefuiɛ
         
            February
         
            ɔbɛnem
         
            March
         
            Oforisuo Agyenkɔ
         
            April
         
            Ohawam Kotonimaa
         
            May
         
            Ayɛwohomumu
         
            June
         
            Kutawonsa
         
            July
         
            Sanaa
         
            August
         
            ɛbɔ
         
            September
         
            Ahinime
         
            October
         
            Obubuo
         
            November
         
            ɔpɛnimma
         
            December
         

Abupɛn nan (the "4 seasons" – note they are different from western ones)
 
                                                                                                                                                                             
            Akan Name
         
            Duration (Akan)
         
            Duration (English)
         
            ɔpɛ             Bere
         
            Ɔpɛnimma             – ɔbɛnem
         
            December – March (4 months)
         
            Asusue Bere
         
            Oforisuo Agyenkɔ – Ayɛwohomumu
         
            April – June (3 months)
         
            Ofupɛ Bere
         
            Kutawonsa – Sanaa
         
            July – August (2 months)
         
            Bamporɔ Bere
         
            Ɛbɔ             – Obubuo
         
            September – November ( 3 months)
         

[C] Nnabɔne Din ("bad" names) (Names of the "Prohibition days" of the 42-day Akan Calendar)
 
 (From  Asantesɛm ne Mmɛbusɛm) ɛfiri Akwasidaɛɛ rekɔsi Akwasidɛɛ bio no yɛ nnafua Adaduanan mmienu...ɔkɔmfoɔ Anokye mmra a ɛda Asanteman yi mu bra Yawoda adwumawɔ. Nti Yawoda biara yɛ afɔɔfi da, na yɛmmfa nkɔ afuo mu. Sɛ Yawoda da nkyɛn a, kuro biara wɔ nnabɔnee bi a, emu nipa de di afɔɔfi. Kurow binom deɛ ne Fɔfie, Nkyibena, Kuudapaa, Wukuo ne deɛ ekeka ho. Nti ɛfata sɛ yɛhunu nnabɔne no nyinara din:
 
(Translation – kindly point out any possible mistakes made in any translation I make now or in the future since I am also still striving to learn and improve my written and spoken Twi)

[The period] From one Akwasidaɛɛ to another Akwasidɛɛ is 42 days. Okomfoɔ Anokye's laws laid down for Asanteman prohibit farm work (adwuma) on Thursday. So each Thursday is a day of rest (not to go to the farm – afɔɔfi). If we put Thursday aside, each town has "prohibition days" during which the townspeople stay at home and do not go to work on their farms (i.e. afɔɔfi). Examples of some town's "prohibition days" are  Fɔfie, Nkyibena, Kuudapaa, Wukuo and so on (see table below). So it is fitting that we know all the names of the "prohibition days":

            1.             Akwasidɛɛ
         
            8.             Kwakwasie
         
            15.             Monokwasie
         
            22.             Fɔkwasie
         
            29.             Nwonakwasie
         
            36.             Nkyikwasie
         
            2. Kwadwoɔ
         
            9.             Monodwoɔ
         
            16. Fɔdwoɔ
         
            23.             Nwonadwoɔ
         
            30.             Nkyidwoɔ
         
            37.             Kurudwoɔ
         
            3.             Monobena
         
            10. Fɔbena
         
            17.             Nwonabena
         
            24.             Nkyibena
         
            31.             Kurubena
         
            38.             Kwabena
         
            4. Fookuo
         
            11.             Nwonawukuo
         
            18.             Nkyiwukuo
         
            25.             Kwawukuo
         
            32.             Kwawukuo
         
            39.             Monowukuo
         
            5.             Nwonayawoɔ
         
            12.             Nkyiyawoɔ
         
            19.             Kuruyawoɔ
         
            26.             Kwayawoɔ
         
            33.             Monoyawoɔ
         
            40.Fɔyawoɔ
         
            6. Nkyifie
         
            13.             Kurofie
         
            20. Kwafie
         
            27.             Monofie
         
            34. Fɔfie
         
            41.             Nwonafie
         
            7.             Kurumemene
         
            14.             Kwamemene
         
            21.             Monomemene
         
            28.             Fɔmemene
         
            35.             Nwɔnamemene
         
            42.             Nkyimemene
         

 *Note that these names are also the names of each day of the 42-day Akan calendar and are not necessarily "special names" for the prohibition days.

[D] Days of the week (nnawɔtwe/Dapɛn in Fante)

            Akan
         
            English
         
            Kweurasiada
         
            Sunday
         
            Dwowda
         
            Monday
         
            Benada
         
            Tuesday
         
            Wukuda
         
            Wednesday
         
            Yawoada
         
            Thursday
         
            Fida
         
            Friday
         
            Memenda
         
            Saturday
         

 * NOTE: The days of the week were not given in the book Asantesɛm ne Mmɛbusɛm  as it is probably considered to be common knowledge. I just thought to add them in order to have the calendar be complete.
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid41002
Post by: Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé on Oct 29, 2010, 10:24 AM
Me nua, meda ase sɛ woatwerɛtwerɛ nsɛm yi nyinaa ama yɛn. Megye di pa  ara sɛ ɛbɛtumi aboa obiara a ɔba yɛn fidie-ntentan-so asoɛe ha. Mepa wo  kyɛw, wofiri Ghana anaa?
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid41003
Post by: KwameD on Oct 29, 2010, 12:07 PM
Me nua panyin Okyeame Kwame, me firi Ghana ampa ara! Me papa yɛ Fanteni ena me maame yɛ Akyemni enti me firi Akyem Abwakwa. Me yɛ Asonaba ankasa! :hello:
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid41004
Post by: KwameD on Oct 29, 2010, 12:23 PM
Okyeame Kwame, wo ayɛ adeɛ paa ara sɛ woama ebibifoɔ nyinara tumi soronko wɔ fidie yi so. W'ayɛ adeɛ paa ara! Me da wo ase, ɔdomankoma nkyira ntɔ wo ne w'ebusua foɔ nyinara so!
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid41027
Post by: Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé on Oct 31, 2010, 06:33 AM
QuoteKwameD;41003 wrote: Me nua panyin Okyeame Kwame, me firi Ghana ampa ara! Me papa yɛ Fanteni ena me maame yɛ Akyemni enti me firi Akyem Abwakwa. Me yɛ Asonaba ankasa! :hello:
ɛhɛɛ! Afei na mahu deɛ nti a wote Twi saa. Wo nso woayɛ adeɛ. Mentaa  nhyia Ghanafoɔ a wowɔ Abibifoɔ abakɔsɛm ne amammerɛ ho dɔ sei. ɛyɛ  nkuranhyɛ papa pa ara berɛ a mehyia nnipa te sɛ wo a wɔantoto yɛn  amanneɛ ase a wɔsan di so bɛsi saa berɛ yi. Woayɛ adeɛ pa ara. Sɛ wohia  biribi ara, ma m'aso nte. Meda wo ase a ɛnsa o. Akyire.
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid43849
Post by: Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé on Jul 05, 2011, 09:31 AM
Me nua Kwame, wowɔ nwoma yi, ne fidie-so-krataa? Mekyerɛ PDF. Deɛ mehwehwɛ pa ara ne mmara aduɔson nson a yɛse Ɔkɔmfo Anɔkye hyɛɛ no. Woahu saa wɔ nwoma bi mu da? :soldiert::5star::soldierg:
:gyenyame::sankofa:
Title: Asranee Dummienu ene Nnabɔnee Din (Akan Calendar)-gctid43859
Post by: KwameD on Jul 05, 2011, 08:30 PM
Onua panyin, daabi oo..saa krataa yi a mekyerɛw nwoma yi firi mu no wɔ "British Library" no mu. Me nya kwan a, mɛ kɔ hɔ bio akɔ hwɛ sɛ mmara no ɛwɔ mu anaa. Sɛ ɛwɔ mu a, mɛ kyerɛw ato hɔ. Ebia "Manhyia Archives" wɔ Kumasi wɔ saa mmara yi, me nso me pɛ sɛ me kenkan saa mmara yi!

Dea mehu no wɔ krataa mu no yɛ mbɛ aduɔson nson no a wɔ bɔ wɔ fontomfrom no so. Wei sei no wo betumi enya wɔ Rattray ("Religion and Art...", p.286-294)