Conceptualizing farm product overmaturity in the Mfantse dialect of Akan

Abstract

Within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory by Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M., the present paper analyzes the expressions in the Mfantse dialect of Akan, which communicate the state of overmaturity in farm products, more precisely farm product + adjectives forms (e.g. kube werpee ‘coconut dry’). This study is a case study which uses a qualitative research approach. The analysis is based on data collected from six (6) farmers purposively sampled from Gomoa Asebu, Ajumako and Mfantse Nyankomase in the Central Region of Ghana. The data collection tool was a semi- structured interview. It is realized that among the Mfantse people, the presence of a given feature like dryness or overripe is conceptualized to communicate the overmaturity of farm products. The results of our discussion may add to further research into the factors that contribute to figurative expressions and coinage relating to crop farming vocabulary among the Mfantse people