Historian provides real meaning of abbreviation 'Accra' as coined by Portuguese

A historian, Amankwah Ampofo, has given what is considered one of the most unheard-of definitions of what the word, Accra, means.

Contrary to the widespread notion that the name of the capital city of Ghana, Accra, is derived from the local reference of a city that has people as many as ants (nkran), the historian said that is not the case.

In his submission, during an interview with Fiifi Banson on Fiifi Banson TV, Amankwah Ampofo explained that the word is actually an abbreviation.

He explained further that it was an abbreviation that was given to the state of the city because of the types of people who were in it, made up of not just Ghanaians, but also many Africans.

“Accra; A-C-C-R-A is an English word. What it is, is that in 1877, when the capital was being moved to Accra, there were a lot of people in the city from other African countries.

“That is why even the Akwapim’s call Accra the town where the people are so plenty, like ants, and that is how they got to refer to Accra as ‘nkran.’

“So, Accra actually means A City Containing Rough Africans because the city was filled with people: criminals and others. That was in 1877, when the Portuguese felt that the people were giving them a tough time in Accra,” he explained.

Watch the video below:



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