Conjunctions are grammatical items which primarily connect words or other constructions in a language. They are items or words used to join together words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Conjunctions in Akan can be broadly categorized into two groups depending on the type of units they join. These are those that join words, phrases, clauses, or sentences of equal rank or importance known as coordinating conjunctions and those that join subordinate clause and main clause also termed as subordinating conjunctions. In this section, we will look at coordinating conjunctions.
Coordinating Conjunctions
- Ne (and) is used to join two or more items (nouns) in sequence.
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
- Yaw tɔn nwoma ne mpaboa
- Mesua Twi, Spanish, French ne Arabic.
- Abena kɔɔ dwaso kɔtɔɔ gyeene, nkyene, mace ne nam.
- Me maame ne me papa te Ghana.
- Jennifer ne Ashley sua Twi.
- Na (and) is used to join main clauses. Na is sometimes written as εnna or nna.
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
- Anɔpa biara medware na medidi. [(i). Anɔpa biara medware (ii). anɔpa biara medidi]
- ɔkɔɔ Boston na san baeε [(i). ɔkɔɔ Boston (ii) ɔsan baeε].
- Akwasi maa Akosua sika na Akosua nso maa Akwasi ntoma. [(i) Akwasi maa Akosua sika (ii) Akosua nso maa Akwasi ntoma]
- Asuafo binom sua Twi na binom nso sua Abakɔsεm.
[(i) Asuafo binom sua Twi (ii) Asuafo binom sua Abakɔsεm]
e. Mmaa no dii fufu na wɔnomm nsuo [(i) Mmaa no dii fufu (ii) Wɔnomm nsuo]
3. Anaa/anaa sε (or) is usede to join two nouns or sentences to indicate on or the other
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
- Wopε sika anaa nwoma?
- Akwasi bεkɔ Havard anaa Princeton?
- Mmofra no bεdi εmo anaa wɔbεdi fufu?
- Wosua Twi anaa Arabic?
- Akwasi kɔɔ New York anaa Columbia?
- Nso/nanso (but/however)
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
a. ɔwɔ sika nanso ɔnni aduane pa [(i) ɔwɔ sika (ii) ɔnni aduane pa]
b. Mekɔɔ fie hɔ nanso manhu no [(i) mekɔɔ fie hɔ (ii) Manhu no]
c. Afia yε adwuma nanso ɔnni sika [(i) Afia yε adwuma (ii) ɔnni sika]
d. ɔkɔ Harvard nanso nnim adeε [(i) ɔkɔ Harvard (ii) ɔnnim adeε]
e. Mepε fufu nanso mempε akokɔnam [(i) Mepe fufu (ii) Mempε akokɔnam]
A look at the sentences shows that the second part is negative. This occurs most of the time but not always the case. For example, (a ) ɔkɔeε nanso ɔbaeε .This entence implies that he/she was expected to stay but he/she cam back. (b) ɔyεε adwuma pii nanso ɔsuaa adeε. In this case, the second part happens contrary to our thinking that after doing all that work he will not be able to study but she did. The conjunction mmom also functions like nanso. They can sometimes be used interchangeably.
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
- Mekɔɔ fie hɔ mmom manhu no.
- ɔbaa no ho yε fε mmom ɔnni suban pa.
- ɔwɔ sika pii mmom ɔnni aduane pa
5. (e)nti (so)
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
- Barima no yɛ ohiani enti ɔnni aduane pa. [(i) Barima no yɛ ohiani. (ii) ɔnni aduane pa]
- Yaa yare enti ɔankɔ sukuu. [(i) Yaa yare. (ii) ɔankɔ sukuu]
- ɔnsua adeɛ enti ɔnnim adeɛ. [(i) ɔnsua adeɛ. (ii) ɔnnim adeɛ]
- Merekɔ Ghana enti meresua Twi. [(i) Merekɔ Ghana. (ii) Meresua Twi]
- Abofra no nnidii enti ɛkɔm de no. [(i) Abofra no nnidii. (ii) ɛkɔm de no.]
- ɛfi sɛ/ɛfiri sɛ/esiane sɛ (because)
Nhwɛsoɔ (Examples)
- ɔkɔɔ ayaresabea ɛfiri sɛ ɔyare [(i) ɔkɔɔ ayaresabea (ii) ɔyare]
- Afia bɛkɔ Ghana ɛfiri sɛ ne kunu wɔ Ghana [(i) Afia bɛkɔ Ghana (ii) Afia kunu wɔ
Ghana]
- Yɛresua Twi ɛfiri sɛ yɛbɛkɔ Ghana. [(i) Yɛresua Twi (ii) Yɛbɛkɔ Ghana]
- ɔnni sika ɛfiri sɛ ɔnyɛɛ adwuma [(i) ɔnni sika (ii) ɔnyɛ adwuma]
- Yɛfrɛ no Yaw ɛfiri sɛ yɛwoo no Yawoada [(i) Yɛfrɛ no Yaw (ii) Yɛwoo no Yawoada]
This type of conjunction answers the question why? (adɛn enti?). Sometimes ɛfiri sɛ/esiane sɛ/ɛfi sɛ co-occur with enti to become efiri sɛ/esiane sɛ…enti as we will see in later unit.
Me din de John Ahin nanso wobɛtumi