anansesɛm (Story Formulas)
Story Formulas: Anansesɛm
Closing formula: M'anansesɛm a metoeɛ yi, sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra. (My story that I have told, whether it is sweet or not, let some go and let some come back.)
How It Works
1. Taking the closing apart
- M'anansesɛm a metoeɛ yi: this story of mine that I have told. To anansesɛm means tell a story. The relative clause ends in yi (this) instead of no, as in This: yi.
- sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o: whether it is sweet or not sweet.
- ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra: let some go and let some come back. Nkɔ and mmra are the optative forms of kɔ (go) and ba (come), as in Let and May: The Optative, and ebi is from Some: ebi and ebinom.
2. What it means
The teller says: good or not, take some of the story with you, and let another story come back to me. It invites the next person to tell one.
3. Versions
Wording varies from teller to teller. You will meet metoo as well as metoeɛ, and an older form recorded in Asante by R. S. Rattray (published 1930): momfa bi nkɔ, na momfa bi mmra (take some away, and bring some back).
4. Openings
Older tellers opened with a disclaimer that Rattray translated as We do not really mean, we do not really mean (that what we are going to say is true), and the audience answered. The exact words differ from place to place. Many stories simply begin with Da bi (One day), from A Certain, Some: bi.
5. Endings that explain
Many Ananse stories end by explaining why something is the way it is, with Ɛno nti na ... (That is why ...): Ɛno nti na yɛfrɛ nsɛm yi Anansesɛm (That is why we call these stories Ananse stories). Songs called mmoguo are sung during the telling.
Examples (6)
- M'anansesɛm a metoeɛ yi, sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra.
My story that I have told, whether it is sweet or not, let some go and let some come back.
The traditional closing. Metoeɛ is the clause-end past of to (tell); many tellers say metoo.
- Momfa bi nkɔ, na momfa bi mmra.
Take some away, and bring some back.
The older wording recorded by Rattray, with plural commands, as in Commands to a Group.
- Da bi, Kwaku Ananse kɔɔ Onyankopɔn nkyɛn.
One day, Kwaku Ananse went to the Sky God.
Da bi (one day) is a common way to begin. In a famous tale, Ananse goes to buy the Sky God's stories.
- Ɛno nti na yɛfrɛ nsɛm yi Anansesɛm.
That is why we call these stories Ananse stories.
- Kwaku Ananse wɔ nyansa paa.
Kwaku Ananse is very clever.
- Hwan na ɔbɛto anansesɛm bi?
Who will tell a story?
To anansesɛm means tell a story.
Common Mistakes
Using the negative of ba instead of its optative (intended: let some come back).
Sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, ebi nkɔ na ebi mma.Sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra.Mma is the negative of ba, so ebi mma means some do not come. The optative of ba is built on bra, so let some come is ebi mmra, as in Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmmra (Tell him to come).
How It Connects
Learn This First
The story formula uses a relative clause, whether ... or and the optative.
- sɛ ... o, sɛ ... oWhether ... or: Sɛ ... O, Sɛ ... O
The closing formula contains Sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o.
Level 5 - N- (Optative)Let and May: The Optative
Ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra uses the optative: let some go and let some come back.
Level 2 - a ... no (Relative Clause)Relative Clauses: A ... No
M'anansesɛm a metoeɛ yi is a relative clause that closes with yi instead of no.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- ebi / ebinomSome: Ebi and Ebinom
Ebi (some) is what goes and comes back.
Level 4 - yi (This)This: Yi
The relative clause in the formula closes with yi instead of no.
Level 1 - ma + OptativeLet Me, Let Us: Ma
The everyday way to say let with the optative, as in Momma yɛnkɔ (Let us go).
Level 2 - ɛbɛ (Proverbs)Proverbs: Ɛbɛ
Like proverbs, stories often end with a lesson.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
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