Linguistic Expressions of “Welcome” Among Ghanaian Ethnolinguistic Groups

Abstract

Despite Ghana’s rich linguistic diversity, the most common linguistic expression of welcome, especially in Southern Ghana, remains Akwaaba, and to some extent Woezor, thereby rendering several other expressions of welcome relatively unknown. Against this backdrop, this study explores various linguistic expressions of welcome across Southern and Northern Ghana to highlight lesser-known or underused expressions used to welcome visitors and relatives into Ghanaian homes and tourist sites. Using the social identity theory and subjectivism, we investigated how selected tribes in Ghana express welcome in their native languages, the values and identities these expressions espouse, as well as their importance to the Ghanaian society and the global world, to foreground cultural nuances in Ghanaian welcome expressions. The analysis reveals that welcome expressions are central to Ghanaian social life, functioning as cultural mechanisms that cultivate hospitality, culturally-appropriate respect, strengthen community bonds, and affirm Ghanaian cultural identity. Considering the socio-cultural significance of welcome expressions within Ghanaian society, the findings suggest that the use of lesser-known expressions of welcome should not be confined to specific communities of practice but extended to tourist sites within and beyond the communities as a strategy to sustain, protect, and promote the indigenous languages in which these expressions occur.

Keywords: Welcome, linguistic expressions, Ghanaian culture, ethnolinguistic

DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/109-06

Publication date: February 28^th 2026