11 wrongly pronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast (Pictures)

This post dives into 11 wrongly pronounced words in Ghana, even today, which were inherited from the Gold Coast. These 11 mispronounced words, inherited from the Gold Coast and accompanied by pictures, share a lot of historical facts with modern Ghanaians. Let us learn about them here.

Did you know there are many mispronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast by today’s Ghana? Many of us do not even know the real words that were “crucified” by our forefathers when they were first introduced to the English language.

The arrival of Europeans on the shores of Ghana as traders and eventually as rulers brought the introduction of the English language by the British. We are still struggling to grasp the correct pronunciations of words in foreign languages, and it was no different for the Gold Coasters.

However, these mispronunciations seem to have persisted in Ghana’s local vocabulary, making it extremely difficult for modern Ghanaians to recognize, in some instances, whether there are English equivalents for certain vocabularies that have existed among Ghanaians for over 60 years.

In this researched write-up, we aim to help readers learn the correct words and their meanings, as well as the mispronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast that are still in use today.

11 wrongly pronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast:

#1 Boflot – Buffloaf 

Ghanaians love their Bloflot but the actual name is Buffloaf. In the Netherlands are known as Oliebollen (oil balls) and lard balls or croustillons by Belgium and French nationals, while the English call them Dutch Doughnuts or Dutchies.

#2 Chooboyi – Cheer the boy

Today, when Ghanaians want to chant and whip up morale, the first word that comes to mind is Chooboyi, and the response is often Hey! The security services use it very often, just as demonstrators and people are having fun, which requires morale to be lifted. The actual word is “cheer the boy.” During group chanting and singing, popularly known as jama in Ghana, it is often used ahead of the start of a new song. We wonder if Ghanaians will ever want to use the Cheer the Boy and not the Chooboyi -Hey! chant.

#3 Oseeyeeh – All Say Yeah

Another chanting word used by Ghanaians is Oseeyeeh which is actually supposed to be “All Say Yeah”. This word is often used and chanted in the form of an appellation or for boosting morale. 

#4 Six Miludu – Six May Lead You

The word Ludo is a  Latin word meaning ‘I play’. It happens to be a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die. Like other cross and circle games, Ludo is derived from the Indian game Pachisi, but simpler. The game and its variations are popular in many countries and under various names.

Ludo is an interesting game played in many Ghanaian homes, but its popularity has reduced with the advent of technology and video games on mobile phones, game stations, and online.

However, nearly everyone knows Six Miludu is a chant that goes along with tossing a die to spin a 6 in the game of ludo.

The actual word is  “Six May Lead You” but Ghanaians like the Siiiiissss Miluuduuu all the way when the Game of Ludu is hyped and the game is overly tough, we do not have the patience to say Six May Lead You and it is also not fun. 

The fifth of the wrongly pronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast is School Driver which is supposed to be Screw Driver.

The screwdriver which is a handheld tool for removing or fixing screws onto machines and equipment is also wrongly called by many. Do not be surprised to hear someone saying “School driver” with confidence when he or she actually intended to say, screwdriver. The wrong pronunciation means a driver of probably a school bus yet, once it is mentioned in fitting shops, repair centres, and even at home, Ghanaians seem to know it is a tool. 

#6 Kalabuley –  Clever Bully

Kalabuley is the wrong pronunciation of Clever Bully in Ghana. It means a person who uses tricks or smart means to outsmart or cheat people in trade or business. This is the meaning attached to the word in Ghana.

“Kalabuley man, This trader will use Kalabuley tactics to cheat you, and they have carried out their usual Kalabuley tactics by hitting the bottom of the measuring can in-ward to reduce the actual quantity of what is been measured and cheat buyers in our markets” are some of the common statements and instances when the word is used. In recent times, traders have devised new Kalabuley tactics by deforming the edges of measuring cans instead of bulging the bottom inward. 

The world view of a Clever Bully: A clever Bully is someone mature and knows their way around things. Have everything thought out and can’t get caught easily.

#7 Kamboo – Camp boot

Oh Gosh, Kamboo is another of the wrongly pronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast. Even today, we hear people use this word with confidence. The real name is Camp Boot. This is usually military training footwear or any footwear closer to it.

Many in Ghana even refer to ordinary sneakers or canvas as Kamboo.

#8 Tancass or Tangass – Town Council

Tancass officers used to be the most feared health workers in Ghana. They are actually community health nurses or sanitation inspection officers who move from home to home to check whether homes, for instance, have kept the basic hygienic standards.

They summoned offenders and charged them penalties for keeping their environments dirty.

The moment members of a community here the Tancass officers are in town, people quickly put their environments in order.

In the heat of using Tancass, Ghanaians also conjured an unfamiliar word: “Saman Saman” to mean being summoned by the officers of the Town Council for not keeping the environment clean.

If you have heard the words “Tancassey line” before, know that it is a phrase that actually means Town Council Line. 

#9 Gangaliya – Gang leader

Local dialects like Akan, Ga, and Ewe have the word Gangaliya as a vocabulary often used by the aged and those in their mid-40s and 50s. The word is the “gang leader”.

During Akan news on the radio, when they report the arrest of a gang leader, they use the word Gangaliya as though it was an Akan version of the real word Gang Leader. The reality is that the Gold Coasters transferred this wrong pronunciation to the current generation. A Gang leader is the leader of a criminal gang.

#10 Bledifol – Bloody fool

Bledifol is an offensive word used to insult persons assumed to lack some level of intelligence. The correct phrase to use in place of this is Bloody Fool. Our grannies and most aged people use it often. The way they twist their mouths to pronounce these words adds some hilarious twist to them. The correct word is Bloody Fool and not Bledifol. Were they trying to slang it back then? 

The eleventh of the wrongly pronounced words inherited from the Gold Coast is Trafigator instead of Traffic Indicator. 

A Traffic Indicator is a blinking light on a motor vehicle that indicates the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn often activated when moving vehicles are attempting to overtake, move into a new lane, and turn at a junction among others.

It is, however, not uncommon to hear Ghanaians say Trafigator instead of using the right word and pronunciation. 

Bonus words:

Our readers are adding to the tall list of such words. Some of the contributions from readers are as follows:

Ghanaian Pornounciations                         Original words

Galamsey –                                                      Gather and sell 

Gosmate” or “Gosimiti”                               Goldsmith

Vocanizer/ voganizer –                                 Vulcanizer

Tsicha                                                                Teacher

The list is endless…

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Now that we know the real words behind these borrowed, misspelled, and wrongly pronounced words, it is time to pass the new knowledge on to others to help us all use the right words and pronounce them.

READ: Ghanaian teachers are most useless people – I’m glad I’m not a teacher’- Captain Smart

It has taken over 60 years of continuous pronunciation of the right words the wrong way. Let us break the chain of the wrong pronunciation.

Source: Wisdom Hammond | Educator, Content Creator and Leadership Expert