THINGS HAVE FALLEN APART

 


By:

Yaw-kan Kwabena JP

Prelude: "The limit of my language means the limit of me" (Wittgenstein). Culture is immortal but stands the chance of being transformed over time. This piece is a reminder to us about what has gone at stake for the upcoming generation of Anufo users.

Introduction:

Language death occurs when the last user of a language dies. This is to bring to light the fact that languages too do die.  We acknowledge the beauty in diversifying culture. By dint of culture diversity, the world has come to embrace tolerance. But does diversity call for total transformation? Let us find out.

Discussions:

1. Language is useful in cultural identity.

2. Language is useful in education, politics, and in trade and commerce.

In Anufoland, does the Anufo Language play a significant role in any of the above? Yes. Our speaking of Anufo identifies us as Anufos or Anufo people. When we speak, and write Anufo, respond to Anufo names, mark, celebrate and practise Anufo culture and traditions, the World would know us as Anufo people. In the Southern part of Ghana, People cherish their local names. In fact, if you respond to a name akin to a southern name as a northerner, you're asked whether you have any links or relations in South. They honour their names. Such great asset to a culture. Do Anufos have great names too? Of course! They're only dormant. But if we can revisit them, the story would change sooner than later. By this, our identity would have been created. We become part of popular culture and our culture stands the chance of being studied. What happens if we don't do any of these? We would be strange even among our own geographical boundaries. And no one in the world would know about us apart from ourselves. Overtime, the language would die.

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Again, language is useful in education, politics, trade and commerce. In the Ghanaian landscape, majority of the media languages exist in English. However, the most powerful native languages weild power in education, politics and in commerce. How many Anufos are in the heavy heart of the nation's politics? Little or none. But other tribes do. They're heavily represented in parliament. They have ministerial positions and many more. We can hear of Vandapoye, Okudzato, Ken Offori Ata, Dangote, a Nigerian name in Commerce and other heavy political positions. We can hear of Mandela, and many more. But where is the position of the Anufo Language in all of this? There's little or none at all. Anufo people in academia are compelled to study other Ghanaian languages in schools; compelled to speak other Ghanaian languages at their workplace and even majority of these languages enjoy social amenities. Can these be said about Anufos?

THE UNFORTUNATE CODE-SWITCHING 

In Anufoland, there's no unique Anufo. Everyone either speaks a clan based Anufo or a corrupted Anufo. Why? Our preferences. We have got some strange but powerfully unresisting preferences. These preferences have twisted our Mother tongue. We have become more receptive to these preferences than to our mother tongue. Therefore, we code-switch even in most ordinary Anufo discoures sometimes for the obvious reason that we would be comfortable with the code-switched. 

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MANY THINGS HAVE FALLEN APART IN ANUFOLAND.

The rich Anufo indigenous culture has lost value in Anufoland. Our people have transformed everything called Anufo. We now have a secondary Anufo to our service. In fact, we have all become a new Anufo speaker. What's worse is:

1. Today's youth do not know how to even greet in Anufo properly.

2. Today's youth do not know the months of the year in Anufo at all. Maybe a few do.

3. Today's youth do not know the days of the week in Anufo. Maybe a few do.

4. Today's youth do not know the traditional practices that define them as Anufos. Kulubi, Kete, Nje and other rich folk music, dances and performances have been trashed into the dustbin.

5. Today's youth do not cherish the use of Anufo local names. Agisi, Awu, Aya, Nafoe, Nanabala, Koamba, Kofi, kwaku-ba, kwasi etc are but a few rich names. Who loves to be called by such today?

6. Today's youth do not know anything about traditional ethics.

SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION

We must be ready to have a changed attitude. Where our desire for the rapid change to conform to the new world is requited for the Anufoness.

Change is gradual. So is learning. We must begin to learn Anufo again. We must begin to appreciate Anufo again. We must begin to represent Anufo everywhere and anywhere possible.

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We have this one language- Anufo. No day will ever come to make us users and owners of other languages. We can only learn other languages but that can never make us a People of the language. Today, create your identity. Trade the Anufo Language. Crave to learn to use Anufo in your endeavors. And this will make your next generation continue to use Anufo and not other languages.


KNOW YOUR INDIGENOUS NAMES IN ANUFO 


SUNDAY BORNS

Male: Kwame

Female: Amoe

MONDAY BORNS

Male: Kwasi

Female: Agishi

TUESDAY BORNS

Male: Kojo

Female: Adjoa

WEDNESDAY BORNS

Male: Kwabena

Female: Amana

THURSDAY BORNS

Male: Kwaku

Female: Awu

FRIDAY BORNS

Male: Yaw

Female: Yaba, Aya.

SATURDAY BORNS

Male: Kofi

Female: Afoe 

PROVERBIAL NAMES:

Wɔkaaya ( This mean if a man had married for some times without the woman given birth and if he marries another woman after the first one and being able to conceived and give birth ), so it has not left with us.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL NAMES:

Male: Saanzu ( What have I offended ).

REINCARNATION NAMES:

Male: Tamah ( This mean I had a hope ). This applies to both sex in Anufɔ.

SLAVE NAMES: 

Male: Akor

Female: Afani, Mfamŋɛnɛ ( with all my mind ).

FAMILY NAMES:

Male: Awurufforbiɛ

Female: Awurufforbara

MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN ANUFƆ:

1. Jomɛnɛ, 2. Asafara / Jomɛnɛ Asimbaa, 3. Damba, 4. Damba koroko, 5. Koroko Fɛnɛnɛ, 6. Kandomi, 7. Kandomɔkɔnɔ / Kpanja Sara, 8. Alejinanjin, 9. Singali, 10. Mingali, 11. Dongi Akɔ / Mingali Asimbaa, 12. Dongi.

NAMES OF THE WEEK IN ANUFƆ:

Mɔnɛ Cɛɛn, Cise Cɛɛn, Jɔrɛ Cɛɛn, Mana Cɛɛn, Wohoe Cɛɛn, Ya Cɛɛn ni Foe Cɛɛn.




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