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Ewe names and foods have lost their original identity- Dzifa Gomashie

Ewe names and foods have lost their original identity- Dzifa Gomashie

Abla Dzifa Gomashie, a Ketu South Member of Parliament (MP), has written about the history of Ewes, their names, and popular delicacies.

The short article on her Facebook page explained how a favorite delicacy of Ewes known as ‘Bɔbɔ’ (ayi kple dzomi) became a popular Ghanaian food known by many as ‘Gɔbɛ’ (food made of Gari and beans).

She provided some creative distinctions between the natural ways of pronouncing and spelling local Ewe names and the changes that were made to them.

Read her write-up below:

“So how did the Eʋe delicacy, Bɔbɔ (ayi kple dzomi), mostly relished by artisans and students, leave Aŋlɔ, Eʋedome, Agave, and its environs and arrive in Accra as Gɔbɛ?

Akpeteshi left Atiavi and Likpe and arrived in Teshie as Apeteshi, we didnt complain.

Kete journeyed from Afiadenyigba and Eʋedome villages and arrived in the cities as Kente. We haven’t complained.

Akple left Adafienu and Dzelukope and got to Accra as Banku and Akple as though they were engaged in some tribal war on the road and decided to split. We havent complained but instead supported you in corrupting the name.

What really is on the road between Eʋenyigba and other places that nothing leaves Eʋeland and arrives in Accra the same? I have just met my former schoolmate, Selasie who says she is now Cinderella. No problem. But why is Aku from Akatsi now called Ekua, Ablatɔ now Abena, and Afitɔ now called Afia?

So that Kɔbla, who now responds to Kwabena instead, will introduce himself to me in Twi or Ga or rather interestingly in English when he knows me as an Eʋevi akuaku.

Nutifafa says she is now Peace, as Nugbedodo says she is Promise.

Very soon our Ayikple will arrive in Koforidua as Ayekle, our Kɔkli will arrive in Kumasi a Kaki, and our Ekukatsa arrives in Cape coast as something English.

Show me the Gbemus who are not Green, the Aƒealetes who are not Apeletes and many more so I can bask in the glories of those spirit-lifting appellations by our forebears.

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Take me to the days when Selasi was written without an “e” at the end and without double “s”. Take me to the days when Aƒlao was written Aflao but pronounced “Aƒlao, only because there was no “ƒ” on our keyboards at the time and not because we wanted to “brofolize”. Take me to when Keta was pronounced “Keta” and not “Kita”.

Where are the Ametamemanya, Agbeme, Nugbedo, Dzidzadze, Aƒetɔli, Husunukpe, Dangoe, Ŋgɔli.

May our Fafalis, Dzifas, Edudzis, Nuteƒes, Esinus, Exɔnams, Elɔms, Elikems, and those nerve-soothing names never face such calamities of being changed for names whose meanings we can barely vouch for.

Akpe na mi.


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