Nzema: basic phrases and interesting facts

Monday, September 30, 2019 at 1:00 PM by Chris Ndetei

Before planning on a trip, it is vital to go through the history of the region that you are planning on visiting. Going through the background will not only equip you with some of the interesting facts about the place but also the cultural beliefs and practices in the region. These Nzema phrases and facts are what should guide you on what to expect during the trip to where the community is situated.

Nzema: basic phrases and interesting facts — Image: instagram.com, @busuainn_ezilebay
Source: UGC

Ghana is one of the African countries that boast of deeply rooted African culture. One of the most interesting ethnic groups situated in the South-Western region of the country is the Nzema. For that reason, if you are thinking of visiting the region, it will be prudent of you to ensure that you are able to keep up with some of the facts about the ethnic group. Learning some of the most basic terms and phrases could also go a long way.

Translation of numbers in Nzema

If you are looking forward to learning this language, learning how to translate numbers from the language to English is one of the basic things that a beginner can take pride in knowing. This is what the basic Nzema numerology entails:

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0 - hwee
1 - ko
2 - nwiɔ
3 - nsa
4 - nna
5 - nnu
6 - nsia
7 - nsuu
8 - mɔtwɛ
9 - ngɔnla
10 - bulu
11 - bulu-nee-ko
12 - bulu-nee-nwiɔ
13 - bulu-nee-nsa
14 - bulu-nee-nna
15 - bulu-nee-nnu
16 - bulu-nee-nsia
17 - bulu-nee-nsuu
18 - bulu-nee-mɔtwɛ
19 - bulu-nee-ngɔnla
20 - abulanwiɔ

Knowing how to pronounce these numbers will play a major role in business-related conversations.

Interesting facts about Nzema

The Nzema people are a member of the Akan sub-group.

Their population is about 262,000 and most of them are found in the Southwestern part of Ghana whereas there is a group that lives in Côte d'Ivoire.
For the Nzema group that lives in Ghana, they occupy two districts in the Southwestern region: Jomoro District of Ghana which is commonly referred to as Nzema district and Nzema East District.
The language that the group speaks is also referred to as Appolo or Nzima.
Nzema language is written in Latin and has a total of twenty-four alphabets.
The main economic activity that the group engages in is farming.
The group is also known for being religious as they hold the Kundum festival which they carry out every year. The festival involves the satirical Avudewene chants which are made by the young men in the community.
The festival also involves celebrations that begin from the southeastern parts of Ahanta and go all the way to the southern parts. It is timed to coordinate with the harvest period.
The ceremony also entails ritual singing, drumming and dancing which is believed to be their way of sending away the evil spirits and a way of protecting the fortune.
The singing and dancing phase of the Kundum festival goes on for about four weeks.
Like most communities, the days of the week for this community also take the seven-day cycle and the cycles follow one another for at least three weeks.
Direct descent from an ancestor in this group is considered to be matrimonial.
One of the most prominent Ghanaian leaders Kwame Nkrumah and Anton Wilhelm Amo, a trained European philosopher, trace their roots back to the community.