ashanti

ashanti — noun

1. a person belonging to an ethnic group based in the south of Ghana

1.noun
Definition

a person belonging to an ethnic group based in the south of Ghana

Example

Minh met an Ashanti artist at the cultural fair in Accra.

an + Ashanti for one person

The guide explained how many Ashantis once traded gold across the region.

plural form: Ashantis

Common collocations
  • an Ashanti artist
  • Ashanti family
  • Ashanti community
Synonyms
  • Ashanti person

    more explicit wording when you want to stress the individual

Grammar Patterns

an Ashanti

Ashantis

Usage Note

Usually capitalized because it names a people. Distinguish this sense from sense 2, which names the language spoken by that group.

Common Mistakes

She is Ashanti language speaker.
She is an Ashanti speaker.
Use 'Ashanti' as a countable noun when you mean a person.
I met a ashanti woman yesterday.
I met an Ashanti woman yesterday.
Capitalize the name of the people.

2. a variety of Akan traditionally used by the Ashanti community

2.noun
Definition

a variety of Akan traditionally used by the Ashanti community

Example

Hao is learning Ashanti to speak with the host family.

learn/speak + Ashanti

The welcome sign at the clinic was written in Ashanti and English.

in + Ashanti

Common collocations
  • speak Ashanti
  • learn Ashanti
  • in Ashanti
  • Ashanti translation

Grammar Patterns

speak Ashanti

in Ashanti

Ashanti translation

Usage Note

Used like other language names, usually without an article: speakers say 'speak Ashanti' and 'in Ashanti'. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to a person.

Common Mistakes

She speaks the Ashanti.
She speaks Ashanti.
Language names normally do not take 'the'.
The leaflet was translated to Ashanti.
The leaflet was translated into Ashanti.
Use 'into' with the target language.

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Ashanti artist
  • Ashanti teacher
  • Ashanti translation

Phrases

  • speak Ashanti
  • learn Ashanti

Prepositions

  • in Ashanti

Etymology

TwiEnglish

Ashanti comes into English from Twi asante. In English it is used for the people and also for the Akan dialect associated with them.

First known use

1721

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1