First, Second, Third

Level 4

edi kan = first; ɛtɔ so + number = second, third and on: nea edi kan (the first), nea ɛtɔ so mmienu (the second).

How It Works

1. First: di kan
Di kan means lead or come first. As an ordinal it sits in a relative clause, as in Relative Clauses: a ... no: da a edi kan (the first day), nea edi kan (the first one). It is also an everyday verb: Di kan! (You go first!). You will also see ɛtɔ so baako, especially in dates, but di kan is the standard way to say first, and careful speakers prefer it.

2. Second and on: tɔ so + number
After tɔ so, use the ordinary counting numbers from Numbers One to Ten:

  • nea ɛtɔ so mmienu (the second)
  • nea ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa (the third)
  • nea ɛtɔ so nnan (the fourth)
  • nea ɛtɔ so du (the tenth)
  • nea ɛtɔ so aduonu baako (the twenty-first), with the numbers from Numbers From Eleven

3. People and things
Inside the clause, the subject prefix follows the noun: ɛ- for things and ɔ- for people. da a ɛtɔ so mmienu (the second day), ne ba a ɔtɔ so mmienu (her second child), ne ba a ɔdi kan (her first child). The Asante Bible uses the ordinary numbers for people too. School texts also use the baa- forms from Counting People: baanu, baasa, as in deɛ ɔtɔ so baasa (the third one), so you will meet both.

4. Last
Nea ɛtwa toɔ means the last one: da a ɛtwa toɔ (the last day). The Bible also says da a ɛdi akyire (the last day, literally the day that comes behind).

5. Kings and titles
Names with numbers work the same way: Osei Tutu a ɔtɔ so mmienu (Osei Tutu II), Prempeh a ɔdi kan (Prempeh I).

6. Spelling
You will see both edi kan and ɛdi kan. The Asante Bible writes ɛdi kan, while other texts spell the sound change from Vowel Harmony. Akuapem uses its own numbers: nea ɛtɔ so abien (the second).

Examples (6)

  1. Ne ba a ɔdi kan te Kumase.

    Her first child lives in Kumasi.

    Word by Word: her child who leads lives Kumasi

    A person takes ɔ- inside the clause.

  2. Da a ɛtɔ so mmienu no, yɛkɔɔ Kumase.

    On the second day, we went to Kumasi.

    Word by Word: day that falls-on two the, we-went Kumasi

  3. Nea edi kan no yɛ me dea.

    The first one is mine.

  4. Ɔyɛ me ba a ɔtɔ so mmiɛnsa.

    She is my third child.

    The ordinary number mmiɛnsa works for people too.

  5. Kenkan ti a ɛtɔ so nnum no.

    Read the fifth chapter.

  6. Da a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa ne no.

    That was the third day.

    Word by Word: day that falls-on three is it

    From the creation story in the Asante Twi Bible.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a plain number after the noun (intended: Go into the second room).

    Kɔ adan mmienu no mu.
    Kɔ dan a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu.

    A number right after the noun counts: adan mmienu no means the two rooms. For the second room, use a clause with tɔ so.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

First, Second, ThirdLevel 4

Learn This First

Ordinals combine numbers with nea.