Middle Passage: A Journey of Endurance
Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins
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Activity 1. A Land of Many Tongues
Ghanaian languages were as rich and diverse as the culture. As noted in Section 1, Paragraph 2, many languages were spoken throughout the empire. Twi (pronounced shwree) and Ga were some of the major languages spoken during the pre-slavery period-and these languages are still used today. In this exercise, students will sample the diversity of language in Ghanaian society. To facilitate pronunciation, a phonemic breakdown is provided.
TWI
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Wo ho te sen?
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(whoa-hoe-teh-sain)
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How are you?
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Me ho ye eye.
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(may hoy yay)
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I'm fine.
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Wo din de sen?
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(whoa-den-day-sain
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What is your name?
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Me din de your name.
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(may-den-day ______.)
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My name is _____.
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Me da ase
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(may dah say)
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Thank you.
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Yoo
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(a drawn out yo)
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You are welcome.
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aane
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(ah-nay)
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yes
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dabi
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(dah-bee)
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no
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GA
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Te acheo bo tee?
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(teh ah-chay-yo bow teh)
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What is your name?
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Acheo me (your name.)
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(ah-chay-yo meh)
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My name is __________.
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Oyi wa don.
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(oh-yee wah doan)
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Thank you.
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Yoo
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(a drawn out yo)
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You are welcome.
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The pronunciation of these terms is easy to embrace. Have students learn these basic greetings and phrases--particularly what is your name both in Ga and Twi. Ask your students to imagine what it would be like to talk with someone who looks like you, yet when the words come out, you discover the individual speaks a different language. How would you communicate? (Raise this question again in Section 2 re: the slaveship journey.)
