Kwei Quartey - Children of the Street

Kenkey (KENG-kay): staple food made from fermented ground white corn and formed into a ball

Kwasea (kwa-say-AH): fool, idiot (directed insult)

Mepaaky ε w (may-pah-CHO): please (polite or deferential); Twi

Mmienu (MEE-yay-nu): two (Twi)

Nagode (na-go-DAY): thank you (Hausa)

Oware (oh-WAH-ray): count-and-capture game played with pebbles on a board with shallow wells

Paa (pah): very much, very well

Pesewa (PEH-say-wah): coin currency, 100p = 1 cedi

S ε n? (sen): How much?

Shito (shee-TAW): hot pepper sauce

Tamale (TA-ma-lay): capital of the Northern Region of Ghana

Tatale (ta-ta-lay): pancakes made from a batter of ripe plantain

Tro-tro (traw-traw): minibus transporting several people

Twi (chwee): language spoken in Ghana by the Akan people, which comprise the Ashantis, Fantes, and others. The most widely spoken indigenous language in Ghana, with about 8.3 million speakers.

Wote Twi? (WO-tay chwee): Do you understand Twi?

KWEI QUARTEY was raised in Ghana by an African American mother and a Ghanaian father, both of whom were university lecturers. Dr. Quartey practices medicine in Southern California, rising early in the morning to write before going to work. His highly praised first novel, Wife of the Gods , was a Los Angeles Times bestseller.