Nawuri is a
Guang language
The Guan languages are languages of the Kwa language family spoken by the Guan people in Ghana and Togo:
*South Guan: Efutu, Cherepon, Gua, Larteh
Larteh is a language of southeastern Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), official ...
of
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. It is nearly intelligible with
Kyode.
The Nawuri's are part of the Guan ethnic group in Ghana and are located mainly in two regions: Northern and Oti region of
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. They are indigenous in this two regions of Ghana:
* In Northern Ghana, they are located in
Kpandai District
Kpandai District is one of the sixteen districts in Northern Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger East Gonja District in 1988, until the eastern part of the district was split off by a decree of president John Agyekum ...
* In Oti Region, they are few of them in
Krachi East,
Krachi West and Nkwanta North and Nkwanta South.
The Nawuri lives in dozen villages around the chief town of Kpandai, at the eastern end of Salaga district; on the west bank of the Volta Lake/Oti River, some 70 kilometers north of Kete Krachi.
Farming is their main occupation. The mothers cut tribal marks on their children when they are 6 months old; names are given by the elders at 6 to 8 months; children are often named after their grandfathers and grandmothers.
An initiation ceremony is conducted for both boys and girls when they are aged 15. They wear special clothing and are questioned to test their maturity.
Traditional belief means in sickness it is usual to go to the soothsayer to find out whether one has offended an ancestor. If so the soothsayer will identify the ancestor concerned and prescribe the necessary sacrifices, which are performed on the ancestor's grave.
Christianity was first introduced to the people in 1944 by the WEC Mission and several denominations now work in the area. The Nawuri are favorable towards
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. There are relatively few Muslims in the area at the moment.
References
External links
ComparaLex database with Nawuri word list
* ELAR archive o
Nawuri language documentation
Guang languages
{{kwa-lang-stub