Akan

Cultural Characteristics

Lingusitically, the collective term Akan refers to a group of languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily of the Niger-Kordofanian language family spoken in both Ghana (south of the Volta River) and Cote d'lvoire. What distinguishes one group from another are their linguistic variants (dialects) that include Akuapem, Asante, and Fante; the former two are referred to as Twi. Akan is the first language of approximately 44% of Ghana's population, with Asante Twi being the most widely spoken of the variants.

Making use of figurative speech, the Akan are probably best known for their proverbial wisdom. Proverbs are popular maxims used to express practical truths gained through experience and observation. They are expressed not only in words, but also through music, particularly traditional drumming, and dance, as well as through textile art, specifically adinkra and kente cloths. Proverbs constitute an important characteristic of the Akan language(s) and are used to imbue communication with life. Proverbs, metaphorical guides for righteous living, provide a better understanding of the Akan outlook on existence, both physical and spiritual. The following Akan proverbs are instructive in this regard:

What distinguishes the Akan from many of the other cultural groupings in Ghana is that they are a matrilineal people. Every Akan belongs to a clan or abusua (family) and is bound to that abusua by blood relation. They believe that, during intercourse, the sunsum (spirit) from the father mingles with the mogya (blood) of the mother, giving rise to conception. This joining of spiritual and physical components gives rise to the mother-child bond and lays the foundation for the matrilineal system of descent by the Akan. As the Akan proverb informs us, “A crab does not beget a bird.” Thus, a child born to a Kwahu mother and an Nzema father is a Kwahu.

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