nnome
To curse in Twi is nnome.
The term nnome is a verb used to describe the act of using offensive language.
Meaning: to use offensive language (verb)
Did you know?
- Because words are believed to have physical power, some practitioners of traditional Akan medicine use specific cleansing rituals to 'wash' the effects of nnome away from a person.
- Many Twi speakers avoid 'curse words' even during jokes. This is because the linguistic taboo is much stricter than in English, as the words are feared to potentially come true regardless of intent.
- In traditional Twi discourse, offensive language like nnome is often avoided by using proverbs to criticize someone indirectly, which is seen as more sophisticated.
Example conversation
Yaw and Adwoa are arguing about a disagreement.
- YawAdwoa, mma wo nnome me.Adwoa, do not curse me.
- AdwoaYaw, wo na wo twa me nkonam.Yaw, you are the one who cheated me.
- YawƐyɛ mmerɛ sɛ me nnome wo.It is a waste of time for me to curse you.
- AdwoaYɛnkɔ hɔ nka mmoa.Let us go and seek help.
