Twi

¹ American  

[chwee, chee, twee] / tʃwi, tʃi, twi /

Also Tshi

noun

1. a Kwa language spoken in Ghana that is mutually intelligible with Fanti.

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twi- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “two,” “twice”.

   twibill.

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Twi British  

/ twiː /

noun

1. Formerly called: Ashanti.  a language of S Ghana: one of the two chief dialects of Akan Compare Fanti

2. a member of the Negroid people who speak this language

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of twi-

Middle English, Old English; cognate with German zwie- ( Old High German zwi- ), Latin bi-, Greek di-. See two

Example Sentences

He does not speak Twi and said he has struggled to make friends and feels socially anxious.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025

The film was shot in the country with a local cast, who speak Twi throughout most of the film.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2023

It was 1978, the festival’s second year, and Davis’s opening words were a call and response in the Twi language: “Ago! Ame!”

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

In the Twi language, “Maame” means both “mother” and “woman.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2023

Twi, and broken English with each other, and with the master.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo