ɛna
The Twi word for mother is ɛna.
The word is used to refer to a female human who has given birth to or is parenting a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Did you know?
- In Akan naming customs, a child's name may reflect a connection to the ɛna or the maternal lineage, which is central to the matrilineal society.
- In some Twi dialects, adding a prefix can transform ɛna into a title of high honor for a female elder or a queen mother.
- The concept of 'mother' in Twi culture extends to maternal aunts, as the kinship system emphasizes the collective role of women in raising children.
Examples in context
- Maame, meda wo aseMother, thank you.
- Maame Akua, me da wo aseMother Akua, thank you.
Example conversation
Kwame and Afia are talking about their families.
- KwameWo ɛna tewa ba?Is your mother coming?
- AfiaAane, ɔreba seesei.Yes, she is coming now.
- KwameMe ɛna nso reba.My mother is also coming.
- AfiaƐyɛThat is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
