RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF THE

AKUAPEM PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR BIRTHDAY NAMING SYSTEM

Introduction
Language is more than just a means of communication. It influences
our culture and even our thought processes. During the first four decades of
the 20th century, language was viewed by linguists and anthropologists as
being more important than it actually is in shaping peoples perception of
reality. This was mostly due to Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf
who said that language predetermines what people see in the world around
them. There is a unique tie between language and culture. The languages
that people speak provide them with the words and concepts to describe the
world around them, allowing them to verbalize certain values easily.
Anything people as a cultural group value will surely have a known and easily
understandable term. Culture is a product of the human mind and it is
defined, propagated and sustained through language. The relation between
language and culture is indisputably symbiotic. Language serves as an
expression of culture without being entirely synonymous with it. This paper
discusses the interplay between language and culture of the Akuapem using
their birthday names an example.

Akuapem People

Akuapem is the language of the people called Akuapem. The Akuapem is one of the
major dialects of Akan, the largest ethnic group in Ghana. The Akuapem people are an
amalgamation of indigenous patriarchal, Volta-Camoe-speaking Guans and matriarchal, Kwaspeaking Akan people occupying the mountainous Akuapem Hills in the Eastern Region of
Ghana. The Akuapem people were originally Guan speaking people which includes Larteh Guan
block namely Larteh, Mamfe, Abotakyi, Mampong, Obosomase, and Tutu and the Kyerepong
(Okere) Guan block namely Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, and AbonseAsesieso. The Akan Twi-speaking towns include Akropong, the capital, and Amanokurom who
are emigrants from Akyem and Mampong people who are also emigrants from Asante Mampong
in Ashanti Region. (Obeng, 1997)
The name Akuapem was given to these multi-ethnic group by the famous warrior King,
Nana Ansa Sasraku I of Akwamu. The name came from Akan Twi phrase "Nkuu apem" which
means "thousand groups." He gave them this name after the people overwhelmed his Akwamu
invading army. The name "Nkuu apem got corrupted to Akuapem as we know them today.
The towns of Akuapem are in the Eastern Region of Ghana and situated between longitude 015
W - 000 and latitude 545 - 600 N. These towns are located on the Akuapem Ridge, which runs
northeastwards across the Volta Region and extends further into Togo. It is bounded South by Ga
(Akra), East by Adangme and Krobo, North and West by Akem. The following 17 principal
towns form the Akuapem state, viz., Berekuso, Atweasing, Aburi, Ahwerase, Asantema
(Obosomase), Tutu, Mampong, Abotakyi, Amanokurom, Mamfe, Akropong, Abiriw, Odawu,
Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede and Larteh. The inhabitants belong to three, or strictly speaking,
two different tribes.

The Akuapem people are heterogeneous. They comprise both Akan and Guan
communities. The Guan Okere (Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom and Apirede) who occupy
the northern parts of Akuapem speak Kyerepong, whereas Late-Ahenease and Larteh-Kubease
speak Larteh. Both Larteh and Kyerepong Guan languages, unlike Akan Kaw language, "belong
to the larger Volta-Comoe group of languages of the larger Niger-Congo phylum (Dolphyne and
Kropp Dakubu 1988: 77-79). Akan Twi represent 51.6% of the population, 42.3% are of
Kyerepong and guan extraction while only 6.1%% constitutes Ewes, Northerners, Krobos and
ethnic groups. With Akuapem Twi spoken by almost all the residents in the Akuapem mountains.
The Akan in Akuapem who speak Twi are the descendants of the Akyem people who live at
Akropong and their relations at Amanokrom. The people of Aburi are also remnants of Akwamu
(Akan) and speak Twi but have intermarried with other ethnic groups.

Language
Language can be defined as a system of signs (verbal or otherwise)
intended for communication. It is intended for communication, for it can be
safely assumed that we speak to pass on information to others. But
communication is not the only function of language. In fact, language can be
used for dreaming, internal monologue, soliloquy, poetry, etc. However, for
the sake of this discussion, the position that, essentially, language plays a
communicative role would be taken. Language has also been defined by
Wardhaugh, 2002 (as quoted by Elmes, 2013) as the knowledge of rules and
principles of and of the ways of saying and doing things with sounds, words,
and sentences. Edward Sapir defines language as a purely human and non-

instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions, and desires by means

of voluntarily, produced symbols while Blodu & Frager (1942) say it is a
system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group
cooperates. Also, Elmes (2013, p. 12) indicates that Thanasoulas (2001)
compiled the definition of language in the following;
language does not exist apart from culture, that is, from the
socially inherited assemblage of practices and beliefs that
determines the texture of our lives (Sapir, 1970, p. 207). In a
sense, it is a key to the cultural past of a society (Salzmann,
1998, p. 41), a guide to social reality (Sapir, 1929, p. 209, cited
in Salzmann, 1998, p. 41).
Thanasoulass definition suggests that language and culture cannot be
separated because language influences the practices and beliefs of
people.

Culture
Culture is the belief systems of a people, their history, their present,
future and also the rules of behaviour that is beneficial to the society as a
whole. Gyekye (1996, p. xiii) uses the term culture in a comprehensive
sense, to encompass the entire life of a people: their morals, religious
beliefs, social structures, political and educational systems, forms of music
and dance, and all other products of their creative spirit. Goodenough
(1957), Wardhangh (2002) and Elmes (2013) agree that culture is the

participatory responsibilities of the members of the culture whereby one is to

know in order to operate in a manner that is acceptable to its members.
Indeed, it can be considered as the sum total of norms and values espoused
and cherished by a particular people which includes their language. Thus in
general terms, culture defines a peoples way of life.

Relationship between Language and culture

Particular

languages

are

associated

historically

with

particular

cultures; the languages provide the key to the associated cultures, and
especially to their literature; the languages themselves cannot be fully
understood otherwise than in the context of the cultures in which they are
inextricably embedded. Language encodes the values and norms in a given
society. Elmes (2013, p 11) notes that the culture of a people finds reflection
in the language they employ: because they value certain things and do them
in a certain way, they come to use their language in ways that reflect what
they value and what they do. Each language mirrors the values of its
speakers. Language is a vehicle of communication whereby one person
conveys a message to another for the purpose of informing, ordering,
persuading, reassuring, etc. Language therefore provides a conventional
resource for influencing peoples attitude and behaviour (Bradac and Hung
Ng 1993:117).

Data Collection Methodology

Most of the names used in this paper were collected from some
students, friends and some elders who were natives of Akuapem. Some were
collected from University of Cape Coast and others from Tutu, a principal
town of Akuapem. I also consulted books on personal names written by
scholars of Africa. These include Obeng (2001), Agyekum (2006), Asante
(1995); Crane (1982) Chuks-orji (1972) Zawawi (1993), Suzman (1994)
among others.

Naming Among the Akuapem

In the Akuapem cultural contexts people are named in order to
differentiate, to recognize and finally to know them. The Akuapems attach
much importance to names and naming practices. The knowledge about
Akuapem

names

gives

insight

into

Akuapem,

philosophy,

thought,

environment, religion, language and culture. The symbolic nature of

Akuapem names and their interpretation depicts Akuapem religious beliefs,
and their interaction with foreign cultures. In logical and philosophical sense,
a name refers to a different element of human experience i.e. to an
individual or a collective entity, which it designates or denotes. Names are
therefore purely referential. Some philosophers and linguists have attempted
to characterise names logically in the absence of social contexts. Names are
only considered as arbitrary labels that refer to certain signified entries,
therefore the signifier and the signified may not share certain intrinsic

qualities. This notion is true when we consider situations where people who
bear the same name behave differently.
According to Zawawi (1993: 6) a name constructs a person because
the name one bears may create an attitude in those who hear it before they
meet the name bearer. Frege (1949) and other scholars also consider names
to have attributes and therefore consider names to be attached to referents.
This is exactly what pertains in the Akuapem culture where the social and
cultural context analyses of names strongly reveal the power of names to
emphasise social relationships. Agyekum (2006) points out that, personal
names are iconic representations of composite social variables that
indexicalise and relate to the name and the person. These include sex,
hierarchy in birth, circumstances surrounding the birth, the persons
structure, power, status, etc. The events involved in the naming ceremony
and the choice of names given to children have traceable links to the
referent.
In Akuapem, the individual carries his/her name and since names have
social meanings, people expect the bearer to live by it. The varied meanings
of ones proper name evolves through a life history imbued with a lot of
transformations and may be intimately linked with the identity concerns of
an individual or society (Rymes 1996). In effect, what happens is that people
expect the inherent power of words in names to reflect the lives of people
either positively or negatively. Therefore the individuals name is of concern
to the society as a whole. For example, the Akuapems expect a child named

after a dignitary or a chief to behave himself properly so that nobody makes

derogatory remarks about the name in attempt to denigrate it. It is for these
same reasons that children named after grandparents, parents and chiefs are
addressed accordingly, such as Nana Opoku, Nana Agyeman, Maame
Boakyewaa and so on. Such children are also advised to behave well so as to
avoid tarnishing their names (Agyekum, 2006: Obeng, 2001). The names are
meant to shape the childrens upbringing, behaviour and socialisation.
Names in Akuapem frequently describe the characteristics of the named
individual. Names can thus be clearly understood when placed in sociocultural context. Analysis of proper names should therefore concentrate
more on the functional theory bearing the society and culture in mind, for
names are not arbitrary as perceived. Names are important indicators of
peoples behaviour and ways of life. Since Akuapem names can be best
understood and interpreted under context, people who know the language
and culture of the people are able to interpret such names accordingly.
Birthday names and all other categories of names in Akuapem have sociocultural and ethno-pragmatic referents and interpretation.
This paper is based on the view that there is a strong boundary
between a peoples language and their cultural practices. It mirrors on how
language is used as cultural resources and practices, and how language is
seen as a powerful tool used to view and understand the worldview and
philosophy of a particular society. One can therefore use language as a
microscopic lens to view and understand the social practices and day-to-day

activities of a society. As a microscope, the language travels beyond what is

expressed and settles on what is practiced in the real sociocultural world.
According to (Agyekum, 2006, p. 210) the language of the people is
inextricably interwoven with their culture and thought. It is a cultural practice
and verbal activities that link and fit verbal activities to the real world. A
societys world is fitted to words and words may also befitted to the world.
There is a strong relationship between the world, which is reality, and the
word, which is language. Linguistic signs are therefore representations of the
word and to a greater extent the world (Duranti 1997). This is also true of
Akuapem personal birthday names. In this work, the Akuapem names are the
linguistic signs, and the sociocultural interpretations of the names represent
the real world. According to Mey (1993:132), through the use of words I
make the words fit my language and change the world in accordance with
my directions as given through the use of language. The language of the
people is therefore the exit valve through which their beliefs and thoughts
cognition and experiences are articulated. The language of the people is
manifested in their naming systems and practices, marriage, family, kinship,
political, economic, occupational, health systems, religious beliefs and
practices, law, funeral activities, etc.
The language of the people also depicts the social stratification of the
society. The cultural practice of the members of the group is based on their
conceptualisation, meanings and interpretations of their belief systems and
the things around them. The Akuapem naming system is very unique from

any of the western societies, but it may share some similarities with the
naming systems of the Ewes Ghana and other African ethnic groups. This
phenomenon, according to Agyekum (2006), tallies with Giddenss (1984)
concept of regionalization that is defined as the zoning of time and-space in
relation to routinized social practices. Within the Akuapem society, some
Akuapem names refer to personal, temporal, spatial and social deixis. With
regard to temporal deixis, Akuapem names are very unique, because each
person has anautomatic birthday first name that points to the day of the
week that s/he was born. For example, name Adwoa indexicalises the day
Monday, Kwabena indexicalises Tuesday, etc. Indexical modes like personal
names therefore link language and speech to the wider system of
sociocultural life of the people. Silverstein (1976: 44) argues therefore
Speech acts are the elementary indexical formulae for specifying the
pragmatic meaning or function of speech signs. They operate within the
framework

of

purposive

function

of

socially

constituted

behaviour.

Utterances therefore perform certain sociocultural functional actions. In

naming, the official performs the act of naming by saying, I now give you
the name XYZ, and that becomes the official name of the newly born baby.
Naming therefore conforms to both performance and participation because
the labels may dictate how the person behaves and how s/he participates in
social activities. This paper looks both at how the Akuapem naming systems
depict the Akuapem philosophy and culture.

Birthday Names in Akuapem

This section deals with Akuapem birthday names. Birthday name is the
first automatic name every Akuapem child gets based on the day s/he was
born even before s/he is officially named. Agyekum (2006) notes that, except
in few cases, this first name is not tampered with. The Akuapems call it
kradin (lit.) souls name and they believe that this is a name that a persons
soul offers him/her. It is the soul of the person that decides when to allow the
unborn child to enter this world. It is believed that this particular day may
affect his/her behaviour, fate and future. The names of the days were
derived from names of deities and their particular days of worshipping
(Agyekum, 2006). Akuapem names of the days of the week show a regular
pattern: name of a deity + -(a)daday e.g. Kwasi-ada, Dwo-ada, Wuku-da,
Yaw-da, Memene-da.... this same pattern is found in English (Mon-day, Tuesday, Wednes-day, Thurs-day...), French (Lun-di, Mar-di, Mercre-di, Jeu-di),
and so on. Agyekum (2006) notes that this pattern (name of a deity + word
for day) is a feature shared by almost all the languages belonging to the
Indo-European family, and it is believed to have been a trait of the ProtoIndoEuropean language as well. There is a system of seven-day names that
correspond to the days of the week. This is also found in all Akan dialects.
There are two forms of names; one for females and another for males. These
names are found in all the Akan dialects and they overlap with each other
with only some slight differences. These differences include spelling of the
names, pronunciation, etc. for example in Akuapem, Monday is Dwoda, in

Asante, it is dwoada while in Fante, it is Dwoada. All the same, the table
below presents days and birthday names in Akuapem.

Table 1. Akuapem Days and Birthday Names male and Female.

Day

Name

in Day

Name

in Male Names Female

English

Akuapem

Names

Sunday

Kwasiada

Kwasi

Akosua

Monday

Dwowda

Kwadwo

Adwoa

Tuesday

Benada

Kwabena

Abena

Wednesday

Wukuda

Kwaku

Akua

Thursday

Yawda

Yaw

Yaa

Friday

Fiday

Kofi

Afua

Saturday

Memeneda

Kwame

Ama

Among the Akuapem speaking people and even Akans in general, each
of the birthday names has its own appellation that hints on the behaviour of
the people born on such days. The table below depicts that (cf. Agyekum,
2006). The English glosses of the appellations also given.

Table 2. Akuapem Birthday Names and their Appellations.

Male

Female

Response

Day
Name

Appellation

Day
Name

Appellation

Both Male
and Female

Kwasi

Bodua agility

Akosu
a

Dampo agility

Awusi agility

Kwadw
o

Okoto/Asera peace

Adwo
a

Badwo/Akoto
peace

Adwo peace

Kwaben
Ogyam Abena ,Nimofriendliness
a
friendliness

Abrafriendlin
ess

Kwaku

Daaku/Bonsam evil

Akua

Obisi/daakuoevil

Aku evil

Yaw

Preko brave

Yaa

Busuo brave

Awo bravery

Kofi

Kyini/Babne
wanderer/traveller/

Afua

Baafi/Nkso
wanderer/
traveller/

Afi
wanderer/tra
veller

Kwame

Atoapoma,
Amm
teanankannuro
a
combat
ready,
snakebite herbalist.

Nyamewa/Adoma
creation/grace

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 (Obeng,

2001). The last column represents response addressive

associated with the day names of the Akuapem. 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 persons birthday name. This
phenomenon confirms that names are not arbitrary labels among the
Akuapem of Ghana but have indexes to sociocultural contexts.

Conclusion
From the mentioned points and discussion, it can be concluded that
there is a very close relationship between language and culture in general,
and a specific language and its culture in particular. That is, language reflects
culture.

In fact, the two issues are closely correlated and interrelated.

Language is the symbolic presentation of a culture. Because there is a strong

interface between a peoples language and their cultural practices, it mirrors
on how language is used as cultural resources and practices, and how
language is viewed as a powerful tool used to view and understand the
worldview and philosophy of a particular society. Therefore the argument in
this paper is that, language is used as a mirror to reflect cultural practices
and also it is used as a lens to view and understand the social practices and
day-to-day activities of the Akuapem people. This paper is based on the view
that, Akuapem birthday name system and practice is a marker of the
peoples belief, ideology, religion, culture, philosophy and thought. The
names are best understood and analysed when one has insight into the

sociocultural norms and the language and culture of Akuapem. The Akuapem
birthday names are therefore an aspect of linguistic relativity. Language
gives full expression to the Akuapem peoples values and norms.
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