Unit 8.3: Akan names 2 - additional names

Akan Teleteaching Course

Unit 8.3: Akan names 2 - Additional names

Apart from the names relating to the week day one is born, there are other names which refer to the circumstances of one's birth (cf. Dolphyne [1996: 124 ff.] and Bellon [1916].)

a) Order of birth
(From the same mother)	male	female
first-born	Päeàsäe
2nd born	Maånu	Maáanu
3rd born	Menásæé	Maánsæ
4th born	Anan(eá)
5th born	(A)nuám
6th born	Nsúæé
7th born	Asoán	Nsüéwaa
8th born	Boátwe
9th born	AÁkron/Nkroáma	Nkroáma
10th born	Baduá	Baduáwaa
11th born	Duákþ
12th born	Duánu

Traditionally, to give birth to ten children is regarded as a blessing and is still nowadays the ideal of many a woman. She will get praise names and a sheep will be slaughtered for her.

b) Order after twins
.	male	female
twins	Ataá	Ataaá
first-born twin	Ataá paánin	Ataaá paánin
younger twin	Ataá kuámaa	Ataaá kuámaa
born after twins	Taáwia
born after 'Tawia'	Nyankoámaàgoá

Children can also be named after the situation they were born into, see below under (c):

c) Child delivery under special events
event	male&female	literal meaning
mother doing farm work	Afuáom	"on the farm"
mother travelling	Ïkwaán	"the road"
delivery in war time	Beküée/Bedäaàküé	"war time"
delivery under happy auspices	Afiräyie	"good year"
after the death of the child's father	Antoá	"it didn't meet (him)"
long childlessness of the mother	Nyameákyñ	"gift from God"
premature or sickly baby	Nyameáama	"what God has given, (no man can take away)"
father refuses responsibility	Obämàpñá	"nobody wants (you)"
father refuses responsibility	Yñmpñáw	"we don't want you"

The following names are given to a child who survives after the mother has lost several babies. A child who is given a horrible name is believed to be rejected by the ancestral world and will therefore stay with the mother:

d) "Horrible names"
event	male&female	anglicised form	literal meaning
loss of several babies	Dõnkõá*	Donkor	"slave"
	Asaaseaásæ	.	"there is no ground left (to bury you)"
	Sumäna	.	"rubbish"
	Yñmpñáw	.	"We don't want you"
	Bahaá	.	"dry fibres of the plantain stalk"

*Note that apart from this name, to call someone 'dõnkõá' is a bad insult (cf. Agyekum, 1996: 120 ff.)

The above names are not 'real' names according to Dolphyne (1996: 126). On the eighth day a child will be given a 'proper' name by its father or his family (read text on child naming). If he refuses the responsibility for the child, it's the mother's family who will do it instead.

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