The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names - Nordic Journal of ...

Table 2. Akan Birthday Names and their Appellations.
Day
Name
The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names
Male Female Response
Appellation Day
Name
Appellation Both Male and
Female
Kwasi Bodua/ Obueakwan ‘agility’ Akosua Dampo ‘agility’ Awusi ‘agility’
Kwadwo Okoto/Asera ‘peace’ Adwoa Badwo/Akoto ‘peace’ Adwo ‘peace’
Kwabena Ogyam/Ebo ‘friendliness’ Abenaa Kosia, Nimo ‘friendliness’ Abra
‘friendliness’
Kwaku Atobi/Daaku/Bonsam ‘evil’ Akua Obirisuo/Obisi/�daakuo ‘evil’ Aku ‘evil’
Yaw Preko/�pereba ‘brave’ Yaa Busuo/Seandze ‘brave’ Awo ‘bravery
Kofi Kyini/Otuo/Bab�ne/Ntiful
Kwame
‘wanderer/traveller/’
Atoapoma, �teanankannuro
‘combat ready’, snakebite
herbalist.
Afua Baafi/Nk�so ‘wanderer/
traveller/’
Amma Nyamewa/Adoma
‘creation/grace’
Afi ‘wanderer/
traveller’
Amen ‘creation’
The appellations for both male and female and their responses have the same
interpretation. People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the
characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days. For
example, a Monday-born is supposed to be peaceful and calm, while a Friday
born is a wanderer and adventurer, and a Saturday born is creative (see Obeng
2001: 16). The last column represents response addressive associated with the
day names of the Akan. Both female and male have the same forms because
they are all derived from the same source, i. e. the deity of the particular day.
The elderly people still use these responses when one greets them and they
know the person’s birthday name. This phenomenon confirms our hypothesis
that names are not arbitrary labels among the Akan of Ghana but have indexes to
sociocultural contexts.
2.2 FAMILY NAMES
Family names are clan names given to children by their fathers. The cultural
norms demand that the father discusses the name together with his parents. It is,
however, possible for the husband also to discuss this with his wife. The family
names are based on the twelve patrilineal clans of the Akan. These are
Bosommuru, Bosompra, Bosomtwe, Bosomnketia, Bosompo, Bosomdwerεbe,
Bosomkrεte, Bosomafi, Bosomayesu, Bosomak�m, Bosomakonsi, Bosomafram,
and Bosomsika. These names were derived from certain deities the ancestors of
Akan worshipped in the olden days. The first morpheme bosom in all the names
means ‘a deity’. Each of these clans has their peculiar names, although some
names may overlap. People whose fathers are from the same patrilineal clans are
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