Akuapim (Akuapem Twi)
Language Information
Akuapim, commonly spelled Akuapem Twi, and also known as Akwapem or Akwapi) is a prominent regional dialect of the Akan language.
Akuapem Twi is natively spoken by approximately 626,000 people primarily located in West Africa.
Ghana: The overwhelming majority of speakers live in southern Ghana, densely concentrated along the Akuapem Ridge and the Kwahu regions within the Eastern Region. It is widely used in both rural and urban communities, including historic towns such as Akropong (the traditional capital), Aburi, Larteh, and Mamfe.Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast): A smaller population of native speakers is located in the southeastern border regions of the country.Historical Diaspora (Influence): During the transatlantic slave trade, Akan languages (including Twi) heavily influenced the speech of Jamaican Maroons (Coromantee) and the Ndyuka people in Suriname, where elements of the culture and vocabulary survive today.
In the 19th century, Swiss missionaries from the Basel Mission chose Akuapem Twi to develop the first written Latin orthography of the Akan language (around 1842). Because it was used to publish the first Akan translation of the Holy Bible in 1871, it historically became the literary standard and "prestige" dialect for education and religious text.
Akuapem Twi is natively spoken by approximately 626,000 people primarily located in West Africa.
Ghana: The overwhelming majority of speakers live in southern Ghana, densely concentrated along the Akuapem Ridge and the Kwahu regions within the Eastern Region. It is widely used in both rural and urban communities, including historic towns such as Akropong (the traditional capital), Aburi, Larteh, and Mamfe.Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast): A smaller population of native speakers is located in the southeastern border regions of the country.Historical Diaspora (Influence): During the transatlantic slave trade, Akan languages (including Twi) heavily influenced the speech of Jamaican Maroons (Coromantee) and the Ndyuka people in Suriname, where elements of the culture and vocabulary survive today.
In the 19th century, Swiss missionaries from the Basel Mission chose Akuapem Twi to develop the first written Latin orthography of the Akan language (around 1842). Because it was used to publish the first Akan translation of the Holy Bible in 1871, it historically became the literary standard and "prestige" dialect for education and religious text.
- Language Family
- Niger-Congo
- Subgroup
- Atlantic-Congo
- Branch
- Kwa branch
Akuapim (Akuapem Twi) Language Sample
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Twi (Akuapem)
Wɔawo adesamma nyinaa sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ahofadi. Wɔn nyinaa wɔ nidi ne kyɛfa koro. Wɔwɔ adwene ne ahonim, na ɛsɛ sɛ wobu wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ anuanom.English translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Source: OHCHR translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights