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Our last lesson introduced us to Twi nouns. We looked at what a noun is, gave some examples of Twi nouns and went on to identify the various types of nouns.
In today’s lesson, we are looking at the first type of noun on the list: Proper Nouns (Edin Pa).
What is a proper noun?
A proper noun (Edin pa) is a word used to identify a specific entity; be it an individual, place, animal or an organisation. A key feature of proper nouns is that, no matter where they appear in a sentence, they begin with capital letters.
Examples of proper nouns in Twi
| Twi | English |
|---|---|
| Abibirem | Africa |
| Amankwaa | An Akan name |
| Twumasi | An Akan name |
| Gyamfi | An Akan name |
| Otumfoɔ Ɔsɛe Tutu II | Name of the current king of the Ashantis |
| Onyankopɔn | God |
| Densu | Name of a river in Ghana |
| Tafo | Name of a town in the Ashanti region of Ghana |
| Ampɔmaa | An Akan name |
| Ofori | An Akan name |
| Twi | Name of a dialect of the Akan language |
| Buronya | Christmas |
| Kristosom | Christianity |
| Nkran | Accra (the capital city of Ghana) |
| Memeneda | Saturday |
Usage examples
Let us use some of the proper noun examples above to construct some sentences. Remember that no matter where a proper noun may appear in a sentence, it will begin with a capital letter.
1. Memeneda yɛ m’awoda.
Saturday is my birthday.
2. Me papa din de Ofori.
My father’s name is Ofori.
3. Mefiri Abibirem.
I am from Africa.
4. Amankwaa nua ne Gyamfi.
Amankwaa’s sibling is Gyamfi.
5. Biribi reba oo: Buronya!
Something is coming: Christmas!
It shouldn’t be too difficult to add to the list, would it? Think of more Twi names that can be classified as proper nouns and write them down. Make sure you capitalize the initial letters of each of them.
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I love this website! I’ve always wanted to learn Twi properly (I’m not fluent in it) but my efforts have always been met with the ridicule and scorn of many Twi speakers. This has been very discouraging to me. I liked seeing my surname written in Twi as well (Ɔsɛe). I’m a doctor about to start work soon, so I need to rapidly improve my Twi-speaking.
Ridicule and scorn from Twi speakers? That’s quite unfortunate; I understand how discouraging that can be to you. But, it’s good you are here. Keep putting in the effort and, together, we’ll get there. Thank you.