Twi
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2008-07-15T16:04:30Z
Zykasaa
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/* See also */
{{This|the Ghanaian language|TWI (disambiguation)}}
{{language
|name=Twi
|nativename=Twi
|states=[[Ghana]]
|speakers=15 million
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic-Congo languages|Atlantic-Congo]]
|fam3=[[Volta-Congo languages|Volta-Congo]]
|fam4=[[Kwa languages|Kwa]]
|fam5=[[Akan languages]]
|fam6=[[Akan]]
|iso1=tw|iso2=twi|iso3=twi
|nation=None.<br>— Government-sponsored languages of Ghana}}
'''Twi''' ({{pronounced|tɕʷi}} in Twi, {{IPAEng|ˈtwiː}}, {{IPA|/ˈtʃiː/}}, or {{IPA|/ˈtʃwiː/}} in English), specifically Ashanti Twi, is a language spoken in [[Ghana]] by about 15 million people. It is one of the three mutually intelligible dialects of the [[Akan language]], the others being [[Akuapem Twi]] and [[Fante language|Fante]], which belong to the [[Kwa languages|Kwa language family]]. Twi is spoken in the [[The Ashanti|Ashanti]] Region and in parts of the Eastern, Western, Central, Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions of Ghana.
==Phonology==
Like all Akan dialects, Twi phonology involves extensive [[palatalization]], [[vowel harmony]], and [[tone terracing]].
===Consonants===
Before [[front vowel]]s, all Twi consonants are palatalized, and the [[plosive consonant|plosives]] are to some extent [[affricate]]d. The [[allophone]]s of {{IPA|/n/}} are quite complex. In the table below, palatalized allophones which involve more than minor phonetic palatalization are specified, in the context of the vowel {{IPA|/i/}}.
In Ashanti, {{IPA|/ɡu/}} followed by a vowel is pronounced {{IPA|/ɡʷ/}}, but in [[Akuapem]] it remains {{IPA|/ɡu/}}. The phones transcribed for convenience {{IPA|[tɕʷ], [dʑʷ], [çʷi], [ɲʷ]}} would be more narrowly transcribed {{IPA|[tɕ<sup>ɥ</sup>], [dʑ<sup>ɥ</sup>], [ç<sup>ɥ</sup>], [ɲ<sup>ɥ</sup>]}}, for they are simultaneously labialized and palatalized. The sequence {{IPA|/nh/}} is pronounced {{IPA|[ŋŋ̊]}}.
The transcriptions in the table below are in the order /[[phoneme|phonemic]]/, <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[allophone|phonetic]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>, <[[orthography|orthographic]]>. Note that orthographic <dw> is ambiguous; in textbooks, <dw> = {{IPA|/ɡ/}} may be distinguished from {{IPA|/dw/}} with a diacritic: ''{{IPA|d̩w}}''. Likewise, velar <nw> ({{IPA|ŋw}}) may be transcribed ''{{IPA|n̩w}}''. Orthographic <nu> is palatalized {{IPA|[ɲʷĩ]}}.
{| class="wikitable"
| ||colspan=3|[[labial consonant|labial]]||colspan=3|[[alveolar consonant|alveolar]]||colspan=3|[[dorsal consonant|dorsal]]||colspan=3|[[labialization|labialized]]
|-
|[[voiceless consonant|voiceless]] plosive||/p/||{{IPA|[pʰ]}}||<nowiki><p></nowiki>||/t/||{{IPA|[tʰ, t<sup>ç</sup>i]}}||<t, ti>||/k/||{{IPA|[kʰ, tɕʰi~cçʰi]}}||<k, kyi>||{{IPA|/kʷ/}}||{{IPA|[kʷ, tɕʷi]}}||<kw, twi>
|-
|[[voiced consonant|voiced]] plosive||/b/||[b]||<nowiki>'''</nowiki>||/d/||[d]||<d>||/g/||{{IPA|[ɡ, dʒ, dʑi~ɟʝi]}}||<g, dw, gyi>||{{IPA|/ɡʷ/}}||{{IPA|[ɡʷ, dʑʷi]}}||<gw, dwi>
|-
|[[fricative]]||/f/||[f]||<f>||/s/||[s]||<nowiki><s></nowiki>||/h/||[h, çi]||<h, hyi>||{{IPA|/hʷ/}}||{{IPA|[hʷ, çʷi]}}||<hw, hwi>
|-
|[[nasal consonant|nasal stop]]||/m/||[m]||<m>||/n/||{{IPA|[n, ŋ, ɲ, ɲĩ]}}||<n, ngi>|| || || ||{{IPA|/nʷ/}}||{{IPA|[ŋŋʷ, ɲʷĩ]}}||<nw, nu>
|-
|[[gemination|geminate]] nasal|| || || ||/nn/||{{IPA|[ŋː, ɲːĩ]}}||<ng, nyi, nnyi>|| || || ||{{IPA|/nnʷ/}}||{{IPA|[ɲɲʷĩ]}}||<nw>
|-
|other|| || || ||/r/||{{IPA|[ɾ, r, ɽ]}}||<r>|| || || ||/w/||{{IPA|[w, ɥi]}}||<w, wi>
|}
===Vowels===
The Akan languages have fifteen vowels: five "tense" vowels ([[Advanced tongue root]], or +ATR), five "lax" vowels ([[Retracted tongue root]], or −ATR), which are adequately but not completely represented by the seven-vowel orthography, and five nasal vowels. The tense/lax distinction in orthographic ''a'' is only found in Fante; in Twi they are both approximately {{IPA|[ɑ]}}. The two vowels written ''e'' ({{IPA|/e̘/}} and {{IPA|/i/}}) and ''o'' ({{IPA|/o̘/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}) are often not distinguished in pronunciation.
{| class=wikitable
! Orthog. !! +ATR !! −ATR
|-
| i || {{IPA|/i̘/}} {{IPA|[i]}} ||
|-
| e || {{IPA|/e̘/}} {{IPA|[e]}} || {{IPA|/i/}} {{IPA|[ɪ~e]}}
|-
| ɛ || || {{IPA|/e/}} {{IPA|[ɛ]}}
|-
| a || {{IPA|/a̘/}} {{IPA|[æ]}} || {{IPA|/a/}} {{IPA|[ɑ]}}
|-
| ɔ || || {{IPA|/o/}} {{IPA|[ɔ]}}
|-
| o || {{IPA|/o̘/}} {{IPA|[o]}} || {{IPA|/u/}} {{IPA|[ʊ~o]}}
|-
| u || {{IPA|/u̘/}} {{IPA|[u]}} ||
|}
====ATR harmony====
Twi vowels engage in a form of [[vowel harmony]] with the root of the tongue.
#−ATR vowels followed by the +ATR non-mid vowels /i̘ a̘ u̘/ become +ATR. This is generally reflected in the orthography: That is, orthographic ''{{IPA|e ɛ a ɔ o}}'' become ''i e a o u''. However, it is no longer reflected in the case of subject and possessive pronouns, giving them a consistent spelling. This rule takes precedence over the next one.
#After the −ATR non-high vowels /e a o/, +ATR mid vowels /e̘ o̘/ become −ATR high vowels /i u/. This is not reflected in the orthography, for both sets of vowels are spelled <nowiki><e o></nowiki>, and in many dialects this rule does not apply, for these vowels have merged.
===Tones===
Twi has three phonemic tones, ''high'' (/H/), ''mid'' (/M/), and ''low'' (/L/). Initial syllable may only be ''high'' or ''low''.
====Tone terracing====
The phonetic pitch of the three tones depends on their environment, often being lowered after other tones, producing a steady decline known as [[tone terracing]].
/H/ tones have the same pitch as a preceding /H/ or /M/ tone within the same tonic phrase, whereas /M/ tones have a lower pitch. That is, the sequences /HH/ and /MH/ have a level pitch, whereas the sequences /HM/ and /MM/ have a falling pitch. /H/ is lowered ([[downstep]]ped) after a /L/.
/L/ is the default tone, which emerges in situations such as reduplicated prefixes. It is always at bottom of the speaker's pitch range, except in the sequence /HLH/, in which case it is raised in pitch but the final /H/ is still lowered. Thus /HMH/ and /HLH/ are pronounced with distinct but very similar pitches.
After the first "prominent" syllable of a clause, usually the first high tone, there is a [[downstep (phonetics)|downstep]]. This syllable is usually stressed.
== Bibliography ==
* J.E. Redden and N. Owusu (1963, 1995). ''Twi Basic Course''. Foreign Service Institute (Hippocrene reprint). ISBN 0-7818-0394-2
* Obeng, Samuel Gyasi. (2001). ''African anthroponymy: An ethnopragmatic and norphophonological study of personal names in Akan and some African societies''. LINCOM studies in anthropology 08. Muenchen: LINCOM Europa. ISBN 3-89586-431-5.
* F.A. Dolphyne (1996) ''A Comprehensive Course in Twi (Asante) for the Non-Twi Learner''. Ghana University Press, Accra. ISBN 9964-3-0245-2.
* William Nketia (2004) ''Twi für Ghana: Wort für Wort.'' Reise Know-How Verlag, Bielefeld. ISBN 3-89416-346-1. (In German)
==External links==
*[http://www.abibitumikasa.com/forums/akan-language-resources/ Twi Language Resources ]
*[http://pouemes.free.fr/poesie/la_glace/twi.htm Twi Poem ]
*[http://www.vibeghana.com Watch Twi Music Videos ]
* [http://www.bahai-site.org/writings/african/akanasante.html Prayer in Twi used by Ghanaians of the Baha'i Faith]
== See also ==
*[[Culture of Ghana]]
{{Akan states}}
{{InterWiki|Twi language|code=tw}}
{{InterWiki|Akan language(s)|code=ak}}
[[Category:Akan language]]
[[Category:Languages of Ghana]]
[[Category:Tonal languages]]
[[br:Twieg]]
[[ca:Twi]]
[[da:Twi]]
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[[es:Idioma twi]]
[[eo:Akana lingvo]]
[[fr:Twi]]
[[id:Bahasa Twi]]
[[is:Tví]]
[[it:Lingua twi]]
[[nl:Twi]]
[[ja:トウィ語]]
[[no:Twi]]
[[pt:Língua twi]]
[[sh:Twi jezik]]
[[tw:Twi]]
[[zh:多威語]]