Ghana: They've Changed Meanings of English Words & Phrases & Most Don't Even Know

Sunday, 30 April 2023

By: TB Obwoge

After two years of living in the country, I still haven't learned all the changed meanings of words. Never realizing this is why so many had no idea what I was saying. You think, wow, great English is the official language, many pretend to fully understand you, they often don't. I know to speak slowly after living in Kenya.

Side note: Many people mock Americans using the term soccer, where the world uses the word football to talk about the same sport. However the Europeans that created the sport, named it soccer and later changed it. Just for your information.

When they're smiling too much, you have to ask, "Do you get me?"

Sadly you'll realize many don't, you can't speak too quickly but also don't use words that are regionally based in the United States, they are useless in any country outside of America. In Ghana so is sarcasm and jokes, I've had people laugh at the most cruel things and not get simple jokes.

Common sense isn't always common, I learned some things the hard way.

For example, Ghanaians say, "I'm coming!" This is a basic easy concept to understand, you think it is, in your brain.

I'm coming, to them means they're leaving you, then coming back.

This was the one phrase that caused me so much fury, I was bringing in my clothing from off the line outside. It was at the hottest part of the day, Ebo exits the house, as I'm going inside.

He says I'm coming, since I'm going inside I waited for him, my arms filled with clothes.

I watched him climb the hilly driveway of the family home, he walks out of my view.

I stand there waiting for a moment, thinking surely he's coming so I'll wait. He didn't return, so now I am thinking, "oh okay he's going to bring in the rest of my clothing, good!"

I go inside and start to fold, after more than 30 minutes passes, the sun is starting to shift. I went outside, with a bottle of water, I get the rest of my clothing off the line. I am still waiting for him. I'm now very hot, annoyed at him for making me wait.

I text my ex, who was a soldier in the Ghana Army, I told him my issue. He quickly turns to the video option, when the video comes on, all I hear & see is him laughing, hysterically.

I ask why is he laughing, he says "he's not coming back until later!" Still laughing, which makes me infuriated even more.

That day I learned that "I'm coming!" doesn't mean "I'm coming!" but I'm leaving.

How can people not know the real meaning of this term? I surely thought to myself. It is common, they have no idea that this isn't correct either, they will get angry if you tell them that's not what it means in other countries.

Hot Cakes

Basic common phrase, meaning pancakes, I've heard this even in Canada as well. This term means pancakes, Ghanians know what pancakes are, there are a few restaurants that serve pancakes.

They taste so terrible, to me, they use something in their batter, that makes them heavy, nasty and taste like FuFu which makes my stomach hurt.

I've tried pancakes in so many places I just gave up, though they do make French toast that is acceptable in some cafes that cater to foreigners.

Ghanaians don't eat an English style breakfast as you would find in many other African countries.

Waakye (/ˈwɑːtʃeɪ/ WAH-chay) is commonly eaten for breakfast, look it up to see a photo of this meal which looks nothing like a morning meal.

This is how a Ghanian defined the word hotcakes:

What does cake & hot have to do with a building? I will never know and at this point I don't want to try to figure out the mindset of the Ghanaian.

Mass-saa, Daddy, Mommy, Boss, Chairman, these are supposed to be terms of respect to someone. Mass-saa, an old slave term is taught to police officers and military officers. They are told to call someone higher in rank than them Mass-saa.

This is from an African country with slave chambers on the Cape Coast of their country.

Calling each other Mass-saa, is acceptable, no they don't know that the enslaved Africans were beaten, then forced to call their white owners this nor do most care. American Chattel Slavery isn't taught in their curriculum I've asked and checked.

As many Ghanaians have said slavery was a great thing to happen, one wishing his ancestors hadn't "missed the boat!", his words.

Above are examples of Ghanaians applauding American slavery.

One named Kofi Jamar, is a famous Ghanaian who took to Twitter to applaud slavery, several people loved his tweet.

No, Please, Yes, Please? Ghanaians considered themselves the politest people in the world. They think this means morality but polygamy, cheating, beating women isn't immoral, sorry this boils my blood and find it often in the country.

I've been told, by more people than I can count that they are indeed the politest people in the world because they say so!

They answer your yes or no questions, with No, please? Or Yes, Please? Because that is polite, not no thank you or yes thank you.

They must beg for your please, another thing that leaves you questioning, please, what? What would you like?

I asked a man this for the longest time and he continued to say no, please? He said this 6 times, when I said, "sir, you keep saying, please I don't know what you want from m!" He never understood, I think he thought I was the rudest person in the world.

Oh, another common thought, is that Americans are rude. Black American racist code words you hear in the American media is also commonly used towards Black people from America in their private conversations.

They call you 'fat mommy, big mommy, biggie, fatty, white (I am Black) while I walk in the streets, daily but they don't consider calling you fat rude. I was told I should not get mad about this because they don't mean to insult you by calling you fat, in Twi obolo, while pointing & laughing. They don't mean harm, they are being polite!

Discrimination in housing and employment

No Nigerians, it isn't discrimination in Ghana, it is just an owner protecting their property.

Asking for Christians only, which is also common practice isn't discrimination. A Ghanian can have who ever they want living in their property.

It's only discrimination if they're in another person's country and they don't want a Ghanian or a Black African living in their property.

Remember this when you are refused service or something in Ghana, the politest people in the world are allowed but no one else in the world is allowed.

Respect yourself, simple right?

No, Hell no! The meaning in Ghana, don't say something to someone that will make them angry, that will cause them upset and make them mad at you.

Wait, what? It doesn't mean to carry yourself in a manner that is respectful? Like covering your body parts?

Or not making babies outside of your marriage with many women, which is, never-mind. It means don't say something to a Ghanaian to make them angry.

Blacky, Darky are insulting names called to darker skinned Blacks in Ghana. You can't get mad because they are being friendly, the same with calling Black people white people, obroni, Akata, a Nigerian Yoruba term which is insulting for Black Americans. Or Yevu which means dirty, tricky dog another term for white person used for Blacks from America.

See they're being polite by calling you animals, and white people. A Ghanaian man said, you should be flattered to be called a white person, when you're not. He really said this to me.

Galamesey

Ghanian made up term for illegal mining. Easy but when you first hear this you might have to ask what it means. Millions have no idea it's only a term used in Ghana.

Curse Words, Swear Words, they don't use this terminology at all. A curse in Ghana is likened to a literal curse placed on your life as done in voodoo. Yet you will see these words used in their media, profanity is often in their media and they don't care.

They are talking about morality and religion because they are the most moral, polite humans in the world. Though they continue to call a woman's rear end or buttocks by the above word.

If a foreigner, anyone in Ghana is a foreigner even if you're Ghanian and your family has lived in the country for generations you are a foreigner. Like the thousands of Lebanese, or those born there from other African countries.

Especially if your skin isn't dark or you belong to a smaller tribe you are not Ghanian according to many.

She is speaking about God and religion and saying the above profanity word several times. She thinks this is perfectly acceptable. Or perhaps the cover of the news paper below is also acceptable too.

Slippers They Call Flip Flops Slippers

"Char-lay Wa-tayies" are flip flops, they call them slippers, not the fuzzy house shoes that you won't wear outside. They call flip flops and slides, even Crocs are called slippers. They are not but don't inform them even Google in Ghana will show them as slippers.

Food Stuffs

Food, seasonings, peppers and onions which most people call food they call food stuffs. Yes, stuff means many but they put an S on a lot of words.

Slept - Off Instead of just Slept

First time I heard this I thought the person died in their sleep, nope, just went to sleep but they added off because it's fun to annoy the world.

Weed is WEE

Home Used - instead of just Used

If you purchased a used item even if it's for a car, it's called home used, don't know why. I thought this term was just for items used in the home. No, it means it's used why add the home?

I was told Ghanaians like to shorten things by making words longer, with the exception of weed, marijuana. They take the D off because why waste time with D when you can have WEE.

Also a Ghanaian parent called WEE-WEE which is a penis, wetting the bed. Yes girls can WEE-WEE the bed too.

Electric in Ghana doesn't mean the same as Electricity

Electric isn't the service you get in your home, no it only means electric items, if you don't say electricity you are laughed at and called stupid. Well I was several times.

When the electricity goes out the say "Lights out" because God knows you only use electicity in your home for the lights.

Nothing else everything else is powered by your tears from being called white when you're Black and fat mommie when you walk outside, all day long, everyday.

Paste Instead of saying Brushing Teeth

You use tooth paste to brush your teeth many call it paste, makes no sense but it you think that way you are the problem.

Rubber is not a condom but a plastic bag

Items that are plastic are called rubber, why because this is run that's why!

English Names Like Regina are RAH-GINA like VAGINA

This goes for Priscilla is PRESS-SAH-LAH

LIVE- LIVE - LEAVE

Leave is used meaning they, LEAVE in Ghana. Live meaning something is breathing and is alive without the A is not used.

Live meaning I live in Ghana is used as LEAVE in Ghana. Again many Ghanaians will say they don't use these terms but many do use it.

Sponge Not a Sponge though

Many wash their bodies with an item that appears to be a net. They use this item and call it a sponge. It isn't a sponge at all, in the photo below of my ex, the item he's wearing around his neck, the dark green long thing. Yes, that is called a sponge he bathes with one like it but in a different color, they were them around their neck to catch perspiration. I guess or to look cool.

I'm sure there are many more that I am missing but this article would turn into a dictionary if I continued. Sadly this leads to a lot of misunderstanding in Ghana.

Where you won't even know what happened, I asked a driver to show me to a shop that sold towels, he took me to a shop that sold tiles for the floor. That day he taught me that they call towels a different name, which I don't remember.

I'm sure many will deny this, I never lived in a wealthy rich foreigner area of Ghana. I lived around everyday working Ghanians and these are the words they used.

Thank you for reading 🙏🏽 Please consider buying a coffee for Lacey's House efforts in Gender Equality & Children's Rights.

©️TB Obwoge 2023 All Rights Reserved