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Hi, welcome back to the Twi vocabulary course. In our last lesson, we learned about Numbers | How to count in Twi. I do hope your practice with the numbers is going well.
In today’s lesson, we are going to learn the Twi names of some animals. I certainly cannot give the Twi names of all the animals there are but I’ll try to list as many as I can. If you have extra vocabulary regarding animal names, you may contribute by leaving them in the comments section below the post.
Let’s begin.
Twi Names of Some Animals
| ENGLISH | TWI |
| animal | aboa PLURAL: mmoa |
| ant | tɛtea PLURAL: ntɛtea |
| antelope | adowa |
| baboon | (o)kontromfi |
| bat | apan |
| bear | sisire |
| bedbug | nsonkuronsuo |
| bee | wowa |
| beetle | ɔbankuo |
| feathered animal; bird | ntakraboa |
| bird | anomaa |
| chicken | akokɔ |
| chick | akokɔba |
| cock | akokɔnini |
| hen | akokɔbedeɛ |
| dog | kraman |
| bitch | kraman bedeɛ |
| boa constrictor | nanka |
| pig | prako |
| boar | prakonini |
| sow | prakobedeɛ |
| bongo | trɔmo |
| bulbul | apatuprɛ |
| bush pig | kɔkɔte |
| bushbuck | (ɔ)wansane |
| butterfly | afofantɔ |
| camel | yoma |
| cat | ɔkra; agyinamoa |
| cow GENERAL | nantwie |
| calf | nantwieba |
| bull | nantwinini |
| cow FEMALE | nantwibedeɛ |
| centipede | sakasaka |
| millipede | kankabi |
| civet | kankane |
| cockroach | tɛfrɛ |
| crab | (ɔ)kɔtɔ |
| cricket | katakyire |
| crocodile | (ɔ)dɛnkyɛm |
| crow | anene; kwaakwaadabi |
| deer | ɔforoteɛ |
| donkey | afunumu |
| driver ants | nkrane |
| red ants | nhohoa |
| soldier ant | hahini |
| flying ant | asisirapɛ |
| duck | dabodabo |
| duiker | ɔtwe |
| eagle | (ɔ)kɔdeɛ |
| earthworm | sonsono |
| eel | oyoyo |
| elephant | ɔsono |
| hippopotamus | susono |
| flying fox | nankwaasere |
| squirrel | opuro |
| forest squirrel | opurohemaa |
| ground squirrel | amoakua |
| frog | apɔnkyerɛne; apɔtorɔ |
| goat | apɔnkye; abirekyie |
| grasscutter | akranteɛ |
| grasshopper | abɛbɛ |
| guinea fowl | akɔmfɛm |
| hawk | akorɔma |
| African brush-tailed porcupine | apɛsɛ |
| heron | sukɔnkɔn |
| horse | pɔnkɔ |
| foal | pɔnkɔ ba |
| hornbill | akyenkyena |
| white-crested hornbill | asɔkwaa |
| housefly | nwansena |
| hyena | ofui; pataku |
| louse | edwie |
| lion | gyata |
| tiger | (ɔ)sebɔ; *kurotwiamansa |
| leopard | etwie; (ɔ)sebɔ |
| lizard | koterɛ |
| chameleon | abosomakoterɛ |
| monitor lizard | (ɔ)mampam |
| alligator | (ɔ)kyekye |
| locust | ntutummɛ |
| monkey | adoe |
| mosquito | ntontom |
| mouse | akura |
| nightjar | santrofi anomaa |
| owl | (ɔ)patuo |
| pangolin | aprawa |
| porcupine | kɔtɔkɔ |
| praying mantis | akokromfi |
| rabbit | adanko |
| sheep | odwan |
| ram | odwannini |
| ewe | odwan bedeɛ |
| rat | (o)kusie |
| scorpion | nyanyankyerɛ |
| whale | bonsu |
| shark | oboodede |
| snake | ɔwɔ |
| spider | ananse |
| sunbird | aserewa |
| tadpole | konkontiba |
| termite | mfɔteɛ; nkanka |
| tick | sommorɔ |
| tsetse fly | huruiɛ |
| tortoise | akyekyedeɛ |
| turtle | (o)sudanna; supurupu; nsuom akyekyedeɛ |
| vulture | pɛtɛ; kɔkɔsakyi |
| wasp | kotokurodu |
| jackal; wild dog; fox | sakraman |
| parrot | ako |
| woodpecker | abobɔnnua |
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Responses
Fantastic work! Great innovation. You are an inspiration bro. Keep it up
Medaase, Onua Isaac
God bless you me nua. Keep up the good works.
Amen! God bless you too, Mike
Bravo bro.May you soar higher and higher
Medaase, onua
Wonderful job with this! I was wondering if you know the twi name for flamingo?
some corrections to think about..
nanka is Boa constrictor (but collectively used to refer to large constricting snakes such as pythons). theres an old saying that goes “menfa nanka enye kahyire” thats because boas and pythons are thick and colured in a way to be easily confused as a kahyire.
the boa constrictor or jamaican boa is known locally (in jamaica) as nanka. steming from the akan slaves to found themselves in that region there centuries ago.
and also Adders are rare sightings in west africa..almost nil.. so its highly unlikely nanka
translates to adder…
ANOTHER ONE….another name for tiger for tiger is kootwiamansa
Oh wow, thank you very much William. This is very good information and I’ll update the list right away. It’s quite difficult sometimes getting the actual English names of some of the more specific Twi vocabulary we have, as is the other way around. This is the first time I’m hearing “boa” as an English term. I did a google search of it and it sure is the snake I know here as “nanka”. Medaase pii.
Regarding “kootwiamansa” for the tiger, yes. Most animals have more than a single Twi name, and tigers aren’t exception. However, unlike “ɔkra” and “agyinamoa” for cat, “apɔnkye” and “abirekyie” for a goat, etc, I believe “kootwiamansa” is more appellatory in nature.
I am so impressed by your work, I gave up on Twi because not many resources existed, but your work is giving me hope again, kudos to you for the amazing work you are doing.
Medaase onua
hi great job done but what is the English name for ‘wale’
Hi Millicent, do you mean “whale”? Because that’s already in the list.
Bonsu
Beautiful compilation
What is antlion in twi
What’s santrofi called in english
Please may I know the english name for the animal Akorɔmma. Thanks for the others anyways they are very helpful
That should be a “hawk”, and it’s in the list.
Thank you,but you need to correct this “omampam is called monitor lizard, alligator is called *OKYEKYE*
Thank you, Eben. I’ve made the correction.
Monkey is spelt wrong .It is supposed to be spelt adwe.????????
Lol, I understand why you think so Richard. But that is actually the correct spelling; what you spelt (adwe) is “(palm) kernel”. Thank you very much for the contribution.
This is a nice compilation you have made. But the animals you have to put in context are animals that are found in Africa and so they were able to be named by our ancestors. I think some would need a Little tweaking like:
Ɔmampam- monitor lizard
Sakraman- jackal
Apɛsɛ- brush-tailed porcupine
Thank you very much for your contribution Yaw. I will look more into those.
what is the twi name for fox, panda and cheetah? they are animals
what is the Twi name for Fox, Panda and Cheeta
Lovely lesson! I was quite surprised to learn that there was a Twi word for civet! I was taught in primary school that the Twi word for monkey is ɔkwakuo. Is that correct? Also would a male dog be called an ɔkramannini, a male cat an angyinamoanini and a female cat an agyinamoa bedeɛ? What is the Twi word for a weaver bird?
Akyem. Not Akyem town or people
Wow!!! This is amazing… Kudos, Yaw!
Wo sɛ aboden!
Thank you Joanna
Please which animal is called Kontrofi
Hello Oscar,
It’s “Kontromfi”, and it’s the Twi name for “Baboon”. Thanks
HI. PLEASE WHAT IS THE TWI NAME FOR CATFISH
What is akoko wedie in English thanks
Hi Baffour, ‘akokɔ’ is ‘a fowl’ and ‘wedeɛ’ is ‘skin’. So, if you really mean ‘akokɔ wedeɛ’, then it’s ‘the skin of a fowl’. If, on the other hand, you meant ‘akokɔ bedeɛ’, then it’s simply ‘a hen’.
Please how do we call nwuramu akok) in English?
Hi Yinzebil, we call it ‘kɔkɔhwedeɛ’ in Twi. Unfortunately, I don’t know how it’s called in English. I’ll ask around and let you know if something comes up. Thanks
I think it is partridge or pheasants
How do you call Aserewa/asrewa in english?
Hello Ken, that’s a sunbird. You will find that and more in the Twi vocabulary e-book, MY TWI VOCABULARY COMPANION, if you have one.
Very very helpful. Bravo!
Thank you
Oo nice lesson, so many names of animals.. but first I have to translate for myself.. I don’t know half of them on English, lol
🙂 Jasna, Google shall be your friend then, lol
Now I know Bonsu means Whale!