A Morpho-syntactic Analysis of Some Selected African Print Fabric Names in Akan

Abstract

This study looks at the morphological and syntactic analysis of some selected classical

African prints and their names in the Akan language. Fifty (50) Classical African wax

print fabrics were selected from fifty (50) different shops at the Kumasi Kejetia New

Market based on patronage, proverbial, and catchy names given to them compared to the

contemporary ones. One hundred and fifty (150) native speakers who were shop owners,

print fabric buyers and users assisted in getting these prints and their names in Akan. The

Construction Morphology theory was adopted, and the Qualitative method was used to

analyze the data. The study found that the names of these prints can morphologically be

classified into simple words, that is, those which are roots and are single independent

morphemes, and complex words which are formed by combining two or more morphemes

to get compound noun names. It was also identified that, at the syntactic level, there are

names that are simple sentences, names that are compound sentences, and those that are

complex sentences functioning as either declarative sentences or interrogative sentences. It

was revealed that none of these names are given by the companies themselves but by the

consumers who link fashion to history, to celebrate famous people, and to express the

trends of the moment. The findings contribute to the people’s understanding of the

importance of linguistic analysis in uncovering the meanings and values that are

embedded in everyday language.