Overview

The definition of what Nzema means, where the N'zemas live, and who they are must be approach with caution. The term N'zema, that has a long history, has been and is still used to describe at the same time territorial, human, and historical entities, which, although inter linked are distinct. During the twentieth century, N'zema has been used to describe a language, a geographical area and a people. A people with a, political, socio-economical, religion, culture and traditional history. A brief look at the first field of use allows us to delineate the most inclusive definition, and as such, used every day within the N'zema world itself and by it's neighbors. N'zema Ane3 ( the N'zema language ) is a group of language spoken over an area stretching from the western portion of the current Ahanta West District (western region Ghana) to the South and Southeastern shores of the Aby Lagoon, and the town of Grand Bassam, including the Southeastern corner of the Ivory Coast. Since the late nineteenth century at least, there have been important Nzema-speaking communities outside this region in the mining areas of Wassa and Sehwi, as well as in -Takoradi and Ivory capital Abidjan. N'zema and Ahanta, very closely related language, constitute an areas of transition whose association with one group or the more a question of historical and political lol factors than strictly linguistic ones. The Nzema themselves recognized som Sekondi e main subdivisions within their language, distinguishing the dialects to the west of the Ankobra River area from the variants used in the Ankobra area region itself and those spoken in the of the lower Ankobra Region and Ahanta West are Adwomolo of Apatem (Akpatamu) and Evaloe, Axim, Nsein, Kpokezo (Prince's Town) Egyambra and Atinkyin ( cape three points). Akooda to east of cape three points, which is now Ahanta speaking, was often mentioned in the past as the eastern most N'zema stool, due to its historical association with Axim. These eastern variants are extremely close to Egila (Edwira) dialects and the dialects of pepesaa towns of Wassa Fiase( Dompem, Pepesaa, Simpa and Nsuaem ), which is spoken to this day only in Simpa. Egila and Pepesaa are not defined as N'zema, in spite of their close historic link with Axim, but they place the N'zema language in a wide area of region affinities. The Nzema speaking area are currently undergoing the later stages in a process of internal standardization though the predominance of a form based on the dialect of ancient Axiema and Azane areas, the political centers of the region to west of the political centers of the region to the west of Ankobra from sixteenth century up the mid-twentieth century. However Evaloe and Adwomolo Apatem (we may also add Egila) are dialects that are still relevant to the complex political geography of the lower reaches the Ankobra, an area in me which apart from Eastern Nzema Egila, as many four Paramountcy's are to be found (Upper and Lower Axim, Nsanye, Apatem).

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