by Adwoa Badoe
Abayifo — Witches and wizards.
Abrafo — Ceremonial executioners.
Acheampong — A particularly hardy weed and also the name of an ex-military Ghanaian head of state.
Achimota — A suburb of Accra.
Adaekese — An important Ashanti festival.
Adinkra cloth — Cloth printed with symbols used by the Akan people of Ghana.
Agushie — Melon seeds.
Akpeteshie — Strong home-brewed alcoholic drink.
Akutu wula — Orange seller.
Amanee — A traditional exchange of news when a visitor arrives.
Ampesi — Boiled mix of plantain, cocoyam and yam.
Anago — Nigerian.
Ananse — Guide Ghanaian Girl Guide.
Anansekrom — A celebration of music, named after the folklore character Ananse.
Apantu — A kind of plantain preferred for making fufu.
Asantehene — King of the Asante.
Ashanti — Pertaining to the Asante people and their land.
Atuu — A welcome hug.
Banku — Fermented corn flour dumpling.
Boss — Tell a tale, gossip or news.
Boys’ quarters — An outhouse for servants.
Bubu — Long African gown.
Buulu — Fool.
Cedi — Ghanaian monetary unit.
Chi-bom — Egg and vegetable omelet.
Chop-bar — A strong informal restaurant.
Colo — Old-fashioned (from the word colonial).
Drop-in — A kind of taxi service that drops you off exactly where you want to stop, in contrast to the usual common stops along a road.
Ene — And this.
Fufu — Balls of pounded and boiled plantain, yam, cocoyam or cassava.
Ga — The Ga coastal people and their language.
Gallon — A large plastic container for liquids.
Gyae — Stop it.
Handwriting — A person’s cooking.
Harmattan — A dusty dry African wind.
Impossibles — Short hairs along the hairline, hard to braid along with the rest of the hair.
Jolof rice — Rice cooked in tomato-based sauce with meat or chicken and spices.
Kaba-slit — A blouse and long skirt sewn in African fabric in contemporary African styles.
Kelewele — Spicy fried plantain.
Kenkey — Balls of boiled fermented corn dough.
Knocking — Engagement ceremony.
KNUST — Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Koko — Fermented corn porridge.
Kontomire — Leafy green vegetable, the color and taste of spinach when boiled.
Koobi — Dried salted fish.
Koose — Bean cake.
Kra be whe — Spectacular.
Kurasi-ni — Uncivilized villager.
Langalanga — Slim cutlass used for cutting lawns and grass.
Mini sane — What is wrong?
Mo ntwen — Wait.
Nsee whee — Don’t ruin anything.
Nsoromma — Stars.
Oburoni-wawu — Literally, dead white man; term used for second-hand clothing.
Ogyam — Remarkable friend.
Okro — A vegetable.
Okyeame — Spokesperson for a king or chief.
Rubber — Plastic container.
Shadda — Dress up fashionably; fashionable.
Tolo-beef — Salted beef.
Tro-tro — Privately owned mini bus that provides public transportation.
Twi — Language of the Akan people of Ghana.
Whe yie-o — Be very careful.
Wo ye blade — You look sharp (like a blade).
About the Author
ADWOA BADOE was born and raised in Ghana, where she qualified and practiced as a doctor. Since moving to Canada she has published The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories (illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité), Nana’s Cold Days (illustrated by Bushra Junaid), The Queen’s New Shoes, Crabs for Dinner, twelve other books for children in Africa, as well as a memoir (“Witness in Silk”) in the anthology My Wedding Dress: True-Life Tales of Lace, Laughter, Tears and Tulle. She is an artist and popular speaker who performs her stories orally and with African dance.
Adwoa lives in Guelph, Ontario.
About the Publisher
GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, established in 1978, is dedicated to the production of children's books for all ages, including fiction, picture books and non-fiction. We publish in Canada, the United States and Latin America. Our books aim to be of the highest possible quality in both language and illustration. Our primary focus has been on works by Canadians, though we sometimes also buy outstanding books from other countries.
Many of our books tell the stories of people whose voices are not always heard in this age of global publishing by media conglomerates. Books by the First Peoples of this hemisphere have always been a special interest, as have those of others who through circumstance have been marginalized and whose contribution to our society is not always visible. Since 1998 we have been publishing works by people of Latin American origin living in the Americas both in English and in Spanish under our Libros Tigrillo imprint.
We believe that by reflecting intensely individual experiences, our books are of universal interest. The fact that our authors are published around the world attests to this and to their quality. Even more important, our books are read and loved by children all over the globe.
