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Yaw (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yaw
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameAkan people
Meaningborn on a Thursday
Region of origin Ashanti
Empire of Ashanti
Other names
Related names

Yaw is a masculine given name originating from the Akan people and their day naming system, meaning "born on a Thursday" in Akan language, following their day naming system.[1] People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days. Yaw has the appellation "Preko" or "Opereba" meaning brave.[2][3]

Origin and meaning of Yaw

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In the Akan culture, day names are known to be derived from deities. Yaw originated from Yawoada the Day of Reproduction.[2][4] Males named Yaw are known to be courageous and aggressive in a warlike manner (preko). They tend to be guarded, judgemental and appear to be ungrateful.[2][4]

Male variants of Yaw

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Day names in Ghana vary in spelling among the various Akan subgroups. The name is spelt Yaw by the Akuapem, Ashanti and Fante subgroups.[5]

Female version of Yaw

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In the Akan culture and other local cultures in Ghana, day names come in pairs for males and females. The variant of the name used for a female child born on Thursday is Yaa.[1][2][3]

Notable people with the name

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Most Ghanaian children have their cultural day names in combination with their English or Christian names. Some notable people with such names are:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Agyekum, Kofi Kofi (January 2006). "The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  2. ^ a b c d Danso, Vanessa. "The Akan Day Names and Their Embedded Ancient Symbolism". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  3. ^ a b Kamunya, Mercy (2018-10-19). "Akan names and their meanings". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  4. ^ a b Konadu, Kwasi (2012). "The Calendrical Factor in Akan History". International Journal of African Historical Studies. 45: 217–246.
  5. ^ "'Day born names' in Dagbani, Ewe and Fante". GhanaWeb. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2021-04-07.