2024 · open round · C · 10 points

Happy Birthday!

NACLO 2024 Problem Committee · morphology · semantics · calendrical and counting

The Ewe language is spoken principally in Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Names in Ewe are often connected to the day on which a person was born. (Not all Ewe names are related to date of birth, but all the names used in this problem are.) Below are some dates along with one possible name for a child born on each date. For your convenience, we have also provided calendars for January 2024 and February 2024 below. All dates in this problem are from 2024. “ɔ” is a vowel sound a little like the “aw” in “paw”.

January 7	Kɔsi (male child)	January 27	Kwami (male child)
January 9	Kɔbla (male child)	February 6	Abla (female child)
January 11	Yawa (female child)	February 11	Akosua (female child)
January 14	Kwasi (male child)	February 13	Kwamla (male child)
January 15	Kɔdzo (male child)	February 22	Yao (male child)
January 20	Ami (female child)	February 26	Adzoa (female child)
January 24	Aku (female child)

Below are calendars for January and February 2024, which may be helpful for answering the questions.

January 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

February 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29

TimerminutesOptional. Set whatever limit suits you.

Questions

0 of 15 correct

Indicate whether each name below would typically be a female name or a male name. Write F for female or M for male.

a. Awusi

b. Kwadzo

c. Adzo

d. Kofi

e. Afiwa

Match each date below to a name that could be given to a child born on that day. Choose from: (a) Afua, (b) Kɔku, (c) Yao, (d) Adzoa, (e) Kɔmi, (f) Abla. Each name is used exactly once.

(i) January 10

(ii) January 13

(iii) January 16

(iv) January 26

(v) January 29

(vi) February 8

On which day could a child named Kofi have been born? Write the correct letter.

(a) January 12 (b) January 18 (c) January 23

Which of these names might be given to a child born on February 5? Write the correct letter.

(a) Kwadzo (b) Afi (c) Kwaku

In Ewe, the word gbe means “day.” Translate each of the following Ewe words into English.

i. Dzoɗagbe

ii. Fiɗagbe

Explanation

Try the questions first. Use the Hint button next to any part if you need a nudge.

Reading the explanation costs no XP. Worth 10 points in the real exam.