perch

From Middle English perche, from Old French perche, from Latin perca, from Ancient Greek πέρκη (pérkē, “perch”), cognate with περκνός (perknós, “dark-spotted”).

Any of the about 200 related species of fish in the taxonomic family Percidae, especially:

(Ghana) Distichodus engycephalus, Distichodus rostratus


dash

From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.

noncog

The traditional practice of offering gifts or "dash" to chiefs has often been misinterpreted by scholars to provide a cultural explanation for the pervasive incidence of bribery and corruption in modern Africa.

1992, George Billy Nii Ayittey, Africa Betrayed, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 44:

Writing in 1924 on a similar situation in Ugep, the political officer, Mr. S. T. Harvey noted: "In the old days there was no specified dowry but merely dashes given to the father-in-law, from 8 to 20 rods according to the status of the man[…]The dowry is made small because whatsoever a woman farms or reaps during her life time is by native custom the property of her parents."

2006, Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo, The Abolition of the Slave Trade in Southeastern Nigeria, 1885–1950 (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora; 25), University of Rochester Press, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 99:

The only other times you'll be asked for a dash is from beggars.

2008, Lizzie Williams, updated by Mark Shenley, Nigeria: The Bradt Travel Guide, published 2012, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 109:

(Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia) A bribe or gratuity; a gift.


chemist

First attested 1562, borrowed from French chimiste, from Medieval Latin chimista, from earlier alchimista (literally “alchemist”), from Arabic الْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ), from article al- + Ancient Greek χυμεία (khumeía, “art of alloying metals”), from χύμα (khúma, “fluid”), from χυμός (khumós, “juice”), from χέω (khéō, “I pour”). As a synonym for pharmacy, a metonymous use of the proprietor to stand for their shop.

der

الْكِيمِيَاء

Arabic الْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ)

(chiefly British, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana) Synonym of pharmacist.


enstool

en-verb

enstool (third-person singular simple present enstools, present participle enstooling, simple past and past participle enstooled)

enstools (present singular third-person)
enstooling (participle present)
enstooled (participle past)
enstooled (past)


outdooring

(Ghana) A ceremony in which a new baby is taken out of the house for the first time and given a name.


enskin

enskin (third-person singular simple present enskins, present participle enskinning, simple past and past participle enskinned)

enskins (present singular third-person)
enskinning (participle present)
enskinned (participle past)
enskinned (past)

Although the Kpembewura does not elect or enskin the Kafabawura, as claimed by the Jitipe gate, he oversees both the nomination and enskinment or conferment of the title.

2010, A. K. Awedoba, Edward Salifu Mahama, Sylvanus M. A. Kuuire, Felix Longi, An Ethnographic Study of Northern Ghanaian Conflicts: Towards a Sustainable Peace : Key Aspects of Past, Present, and Impending Conflicts in Northern Ghana and the Mechanisms for Their Address, African Books Collective, →ISBN, page 169:

On being enskinned, the successful candidate was ceremonially informed that he was henceforth answerable to all the Wala and not only the Nabihi.

2002, Ivor Wilks, Wa and the Wala: Islam and Polity in Northwestern Ghana, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 171:

(Ghana) To install as a leader of a group.


NCC

National Cadet Corps
w:National Cadet Corps

(Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka) Initialism of National Cadet Corps.


azonto

A Ghanaian style of music and dance with accompanying hand movements.


sakawa

Abuda said he was initially introduced to that aspect of sakawa where the Internet was used to defraud people.

2015 May 4, Dominic Moses Awiah, “The confession of three Sakawa boys; We want to stop but ...”, in Graphic Online:

In Ghana and other African countries, a form of Internet fraud involving ethnic or religious rituals supposed to aid the fraudster.


dumsor

From Akan dum (“to extinguish, to quench”) + sɔ (“to turn on, light”).

The end of ‘dumsor’ comes just at the end of the timeline that the Minister of Power, Mr Kwabena Donkor, gave that he would resign if the load shedding did not end. In March this year, Dr Donkor obligated himself to end dumsor by the end of December 2015.

2015 December 30, Musah Yahaya Jafaru, “Dumsor ends”, in Graphic Online:

(Ghana, colloquial) blackout, load shedding, particularly when occurring frequently but in no discernible regular pattern.


Phobian

To mark the end of Relations Week a fun run over 8 km was held at the Phobians Athletics Club.

1988, South African Panorama - Volume 33, page 50:

The determination of the Porcupine Warriors to make amends is not far-fetched as they matched the Phobians squarely in two off-season matches.

2001, Alex Akurgo, Camillus Abongo, May 9 at Accra Stadium: A Gripping Story of a Disaster that Turned Ordinary People Into Heroes:

The club's supporters (estimated to be in excess of 2 million) painted the whole of Ghana amber that night, their elation especially informed by the fact that apart from winning the first Champions League of the Millennium, the Phobians now stay firmly on the rail of bitter rivals Kotoko, who won the old-format Champions Cup twice and were losing finalists on five other occasions.

(Ghana) A member of Accra Hearts of Oak S.C., Ghana's premier football club.


churile

(Ghana, folklore) The ghost of a woman who dies in childbirth, said to prowl in the darkness giving mournful cries.


olonka

(Ghana) A container, a kind of large metal tin for measuring grains and other items.


apapransa

She is also tempted by little things like boiled eggs, khebab, iced ginger-drink, apapransa which are not supposed to be financed with the chopmoney.

1993, Merari Alomele, Sikaman Palava, page 19:

(Ghana) A Ghanaian food made from palm nut soup and cornmeal.


kelewele

(Ghana) A Ghanaian food made of fried plantains seasoned with spices.


bedmatics

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-bedmatics.wav

From bed, with ending possibly influenced by automatics, kinematics, somatics, etc.
Alternatively, perhaps from bedmate + -ics.


akpeteshie

From Ga [Term?], meaning "they are hiding", in reference to its prohibition during the colonial period.

(Ghana) An alcoholic drink produced by distilling palm wine or sugar cane.


mobisquad

(Ghana) A volunteer group formed by the National Mobilization Programme (NMP) to solve social and ecological problems.


land guard

(Ghana) A vigilante who perpetrates assault and vandalism against land developers and their projects.


give way sign

(British, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Nigeria, Nepal, Jamaica, Barbados, Israel, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Pakistan, India, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Fiji, Ghana, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Kenya, Malta, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe) a road sign which instructs road users to give right of way to other traffic

Bermuda; Ghana; Isle of Man; Solomon Islands; Tanzania; Bermuda; Ghana; Isle of Man; Solomon Islands; Tanzania


broni wawu

Borrowed from Akan broni wawu (literally “white man is dead”).

bor

This might be a problem for you bourgeois people who think 'broni wawu' is undignified apparel, and therefore, beneath you.

2008 September 19, Ato Kwamina Dadzie, “Ban 'broni wawu', face revolt”, in Modern Ghana:


slay queen

From the encouraging imperative utterance "slay, queen!"; see the slang terms slay (“to amaze or stun by excellence”) and queen (“a female ruler”).

Isukile […] means 'it has moved' or 'it is off'. […] In this context, isukile is akin to the Afrikaans 'hier kom kak' (a shitstorm is brewing). […] When a slay queen sees a Nigerian buy a bottle of champagne. Isukile.

2018, Melusi Tshabalala, Melusi's Everyday Zulu: There is um'Zulu in all of us:

(Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Zambia, South Africa, derogatory) A young female gold digger who is active on social media and pretends to afford a lavish partying lifestyle.


kontomire

(Ghana) cocoyam leaves usually used for stew and soups


kill-me-quick

(Ghana, Kenya) illicitly manufactured alcohol; moonshine


kayayei

(Ghana) A female porter or bearer, typically carrying burdens on her head.


bottom power

(Ghana, derogatory) Person's use of their sexual attractiveness to gain advantages in business.