Me Ka Fante Kakra

I speak a little Fante

“Lisa Ama!”
“Yes Mum?”
“Lisa Ama!”
“Yes Mum!?”
“Lisa Ama!”
“Mereba!”  I’m Coming
*Lots of laughter*

So my Fante is coming along -- slower than convenient, but quick enough to not be discouraging.  A couple days ago Sammy and I met up and took a taxi into town.  It dropped us at central town and my mum’s laundry shop, our final destination, was a little farther from there.  We decided it was close enough though to not take another taxi, so we did what anyone who isn’t a boy scout would do: we asked directions. 

“Me pa wo kyew, Wiseway Cleaners ewohenfa?”  Please, where is Wiseway Cleaners?

Usually this was met with a laugh or a smile and then they would give us directions in English.  Occasionally though, the person didn’t think twice and started pointing and talking in Fante.  The trouble is, I don’t know the Fante words left and right yet…so I just gave a nervous smile and nodded.

“Me daase.”  Thank you

Another tricky thing about Fante is that it’s tonal.  Since I have never spoken a tonal language, two words which sound exactly the same mean completely different things.  The most frequent trouble I have with this is when I’m studying or reading for my classes back home and someone asks me, “Ere suasi?”  Are you learning?

Me re suasi -- Me re soasi

 “Me re soasi.”  I am carrying something on my head.

The only time this didn’t cause me trouble was when I actually did learn to carry something on my head.