Twi question-gctid198581

[Keyinde_Shabaka]

Abibifahodie family,

I need some assistance pls. A friend of mine (who is Ghanaian) said to me "too mati" at the end of our conversation. What does this phrase mean?

Medase for your help...

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[Kwadwo Tòkunbọ̀]

You sure it wasn't " Yoo, mate?"

[Keyinde_Shabaka]

kevlew;198591 wrote: You sure it wasn't " Yoo, mate?"

Abibifahodie kevlev,

I realized after I posted the question that my auto-correct changed what I typed. Should have been, "yoo mati". Dr. Obadele Kambon reached out to me though, and answered my question.

Medase king

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[Agya Yaw]

@Obadele Kambon or anyone else who might know.

How do would you say Yaw's Photos in Twi? Yaw Mfonyin? The possessive on Yaw is implied, correct.

[Agya Yaw]

@Obadele Kambon or anyone else who might know.

How do would you say Yaw's Photos in Twi? Yaw Mfonyin or Yaw Mfoni? The possessive on Yaw and photos is implied, correct?

[Tenkamenin]

Agya Yaw;200842 wrote: @Obadele Kambon or anyone else who might know.

How do would you say Yaw's Photos in Twi? Yaw Mfonyin or Yaw Mfoni? The possessive on Yaw and photos is implied, correct?

Mfonyin is Mfantse kasa, I think the answer is Yaw Mfoni dodoɔ (many).  I will wait for Dr. O to verify.

[Kwadwo Tòkunbọ̀]

I have a friend from Ghana on my bus.....stalking her to speak Twi!

[Agya Yaw]

Tenkamenin;201006 wrote: Mfonyin is Mfantse kasa, I think the answer is Yaw Mfoni dodoɔ (many).  I will wait for Dr. O to verify.

Meda ase!

[Mr Sparkle]

Yaw, ne mfoni

[Agya Yaw]

Mr Sparkle;201026 wrote: Yaw, ne mfoni

Yaw ne mfoni? I would translate that as Yaw and photos (pictures or images). Just asking since I don't know for sure. This is important as this is probably what I will be naming my company.

Meda ase.

[Tenkamenin]

Agya Yaw;201039 wrote: Yaw ne mfoni? I would translate that as Yaw and photos (pictures or images). Just asking since I don't know for sure. This is important as this is probably what I will be naming my company.

Meda ase.

My wife is a native speaker and she says it would be "Yaw Mfoni".   In David Adu-Amankwah's book "Asante Twi Learners' Reference Grammar" he mentions that we have words in Twi that do not change form, for example, ntoma (garment), mpa (bed), mpaboa (shoe), mpomma (window), etc.

[Agya Yaw]

Tenkamenin;201081 wrote: My wife is a native speaker and she says it would be "Yaw Mfoni".   In David Adu-Amankwah's book "Asante Twi Learners' Reference Grammar" he mentions that we have words in Twi that do not change form, for example, ntoma (garment), mpa (bed), mpaboa (shoe), mpomma (window), etc.

Mo! Since that's the name I want to use. I will await Obadele's 2nd seal of approval.

Kyea wo yere ma me. If I butchered that I'm trying to say, "Greet your wife for me".

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

See the dictionary.
First is Akuapem, second Asante, third Mfantse.
                            Attached files  

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

Yaw mfoni
Asante

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

Tenkamenin;201081 wrote: My wife is a native speaker and she says it would be "Yaw Mfoni".   In David Adu-Amankwah's book "Asante Twi Learners' Reference Grammar" he mentions that we have words in Twi that do not change form, for example, ntoma (garment), mpa (bed), mpaboa (shoe), mpomma (window), etc.

Tie wo yere asɛm! :hugs:

I was in a meeting and couldn't really respond. According to Professor E. Kweku Osam, there are people in Gomoa and other places where Mfantse is spoken where they use constructions like

Yaw, ne mfoni

At one time, this type of construction may have been more widespread as you find vestiges of it in Yorùbá (including in my first name) and Wolof. I discuss resumptive pronouns in my encyclopedia article on Kmtywisms in Contemporary English as does Dr. Reginald Duah et. al on his paper showing parallels between various Ghanaian languages and Ebonics (what I prefer to call Kmtyw anti-amerikkkan). There's a book that goes into the linguistic structure of Ebonics by Green that some may want to check out as some dialects of it preserve it as you hear in the song Tennessee by Arrested Development.

But, in short, this isn't standard Asante Twi. Your wife was right both in terms of syntax and spelling. Mo!