English is the official language in Ghana, as it is in more than sixty countries that were once British Colonies or dependences. Most Ghanaians are fluent in English but they also speak one of the sixty or so vernaculars and this has flavoured their English to make it distinctively their own and characteristic of their rich culture. The seasoning of standard English has come about in several ways: through difficulties with pronunciation, direct translation of pet phrases from vernaculars, and retaining words from vernaculars that have no exact English equivalent or for which there is much respect or affection. There are also, inevitably, some mongrel phrases that are made up with both English and vernacular words.
Most Ghanaians, it must be said, have few problems in pronouncing English words. The most common difficulty concerns words using the letter ‘l,’ and from this has grown up the rendering of ‘police’ as ‘proci’ and ‘school’ as ‘sucuu.’ Some people also have problems with words like ‘crisps’ with three consecutive consonants and the ‘th’ sound in English presents its usual difficulty. In the past, problems of pronunciation probably contributed to the development of Pidgin English but true Pidgin is rarely heard in modern Ghana except amongst some less educated people from the northern tribes. Seldom is heard the distinctive language that translated God’s question to Adam in the Biblical Book of Genesis as, ‘Hoo dun chop dem mangoes?’
Ghanaians have a few pet phrases that they translate into English directly from a vernacular. Perhaps the most common of these is, ‘I’m telling you,’ used when a native English speaker would probably say, ‘You’re telling me!’ Another example of this phenomenon is, ‘Only your… ‘ used in expressing admiration such as in, ‘Only your hair!’ said to a friend with a new hair style. Questions about welfare, such as, ‘How are you?’ when posed in the vernacular are often answered with the preface, ‘By God’s grace,’ and this is often carried over into English, as is the response to the positive reply that one is well, ‘We thank God.’
English is a flexible language with many alternative ways of saying the same thing. Thus, for example, one might say, ‘I have a pain in my leg,’ or, ‘My leg hurts,’ but many Ghanaians would say, ‘My leg pains me.’ Similarly, ‘Brush your teeth,’ or ‘Clean your teeth,’ becomes ‘Paste your teeth.’ Then there are a few chosen words that are used more widely than in standard English: a ‘golf course’ is often referred to as a ‘golf park,’ most dishonest persons are referred to as ‘crooks’ and a highly educated person may be described as ‘book-long.’
Ghanaians use a few words from their vernaculars that have no exact translation into English. The most widely used is ‘Nana,’ a title of respect, roughly equivalent to ‘Sir’ but applied to both genders. Chiefs in Ghana preface their names with ‘Nana’ in the same way as chiefs in Nigeria use the English, ‘Chief.’ When referring to the informal economy or black market Ghanaians use the word, ‘Kalebule,’ said to be derived from the Hausa, ‘Kere kabure,’ or ‘Keep it quiet.’ Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President was referred to by his supporters as, ‘Osagyefo,’ or, ‘Saviour,’ and the King of Ashanti is referred to as the, ‘Asantehene’ or ‘Otumfuo,’ the powerful one.
Purists frown upon the tendency in Ghana, as elsewhere, to mix languages into a new mongrel tongue but it is a tendency amongst young people everywhere to invent their own mode of communication. Mixing languages is inevitable when it involves introducing new concepts and many English names must be adopted for previously unknown technical innovations from telephone to internet. However, the mixing of languages often goes beyond this necessity to create such hybrids as:
English: ‘What time will we start?’
Twi: ‘Bere ben na yebe fiti ase?’
Hybrid: ‘Time ben yebe starte?’
Most Ghanaians aspire to speak standard English that enables them to communicate effectively in the international sphere, and in this respect the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, is a perfect example and role model. At the same time Ghanaians take much pride in their rich cultural heritage which is worthy of careful preservation and development. It may be hoped that both aspirations can be fully realised, untainted by the efforts of some to create an unnecessary new from two treasured olds.
