Formerly called: Ashanti. a language of S Ghana: one of the two chief dialects of Akan Compare Fanti
a member of the Negroid people who speak this language
What does twi- mean? Twi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “two” or “twice.” It appears in some older, mostly obsolete and rare terms. Twi- ultimately comes from the Old English twi-, closely related to two, twelve, twice, twin, and even twig. The Latin counterpart to twi- is bi- and the Greek is di-. Twi- isn’t productive in English today, with two, twin, and twice variously combined with words to do the former work of twi-. Combining forms derived from other languages, such as bi- or di-, are widely used, especially in technical terms.
Middle English, Old English; cognate with German zwie- ( Old High German zwi- ), Latin bi-, Greek di-. See two
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It was English that was spoken in the house when I was growing up - that and the Ghanaian language called Twi," he said.
From BBC • May 30, 2025
One of the first successful descendants of this in Ghana is Samini, famous for his energetic live performances, singing in Pidgin, Patois and Twi.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2023
In the Twi language, “Maame” means both “mother” and “woman.”
From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2023
“Maame,” Maddie explains, has many meanings in her family’s native Twi, but to her, “woman” is its most important connotation.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022
She likes how he greets her in Twi: Eti sen?
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
