The Ga language has its own names for each of the twelve months of the year, and those names are connected not just to the passage of time but to weather, rainfall, farming, fishing, vegetation, stars, festivals and other observations of the natural environment.
Today, Ga-speaking communities use the Gregorian calendar alongside these traditional names. Standardized Ga language data maintained by Unicode’s Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR) records the following twelve month names: Aharabata, Oflɔ, Otsokrikri, Abɛibe, Agbiɛnaa, Otukwajaŋ, Maawɛ, Manyawale, Gbo, Antɔŋ, Alemle and Afuabe.
It is worth distinguishing between the name of a month and its traditional significance. Not every description associated with a month is a direct word-for-word translation of the Ga name. The cultural characteristics discussed below come from GaDangme documentation and should be understood as traditional associations rather than literal dictionary definitions.
The 12 Ga Months: January to December
1. Aharabata: January
Aharabata falls within the broader harmattan period in Ghana and West Africa. Traditional GaDangme descriptions characterize the month by dry leaves falling from plants, dusty conditions and dry vegetation. It is a month that gives you a clear picture of the dry season: parched surroundings, dusty winds and a landscape that is waiting for the rains to return.
2. Oflɔ: February
Oflɔ is associated with a combination of flowers, rainfall and sunshine. GaDangme cultural documentation describes beautiful flowers appearing during this period, alongside considerable rainfall and sunny conditions. The mix of rain and sunshine makes February a time of visible change in the natural environment. It is safer to describe these as the traditional characteristics of Oflɔ than to claim the name literally translates to “flower month” or “rainy month.”
3. Otsokrikri: March
Otsokrikri is traditionally characterized by strong sunshine and hot weather. The GaDangme cultural source describes it plainly as a very sunny and hot period. The landscape is dry and bright during this month, and the heat is noticeably intense.
4. Abɛibe: April
Abɛibe is associated with planting, vegetation and renewed growth. The cultural description connects the month with the planting season, rapid growth of grass and forest vegetation, strong winds, and a visible increase in butterflies. For farmers in GaDangme communities, this was an active and important month.
5. Agbiɛnaa: May
Agbiɛnaa is associated with the rainy and harvesting season, and also with fishing. Traditional documentation notes that fishermen made good catches during this period. The month reflects the close relationship between rainfall, agriculture, fishing and food production in Ga coastal life.
6. Otukwajaŋ: June
Otukwajaŋ has a particularly interesting traditional association: many stars appear during this period. This is the specific characteristic recorded in GaDangme documentation, and it gives this month a distinctly astronomical quality. The appearance of many stars was a meaningful observation in a society that tracked the seasons partly through the night sky.
7. Maawɛ: July
Maawɛ is strongly connected with the sea and fishing. Traditional descriptions state that the sea becomes much colder during this month and that fishermen make large catches. There is also a traditional belief concerning a special breeze connected with this period, referred to as wewei or bɔfoi kooyoo. This month reflects just how central the sea was to Ga coastal livelihoods.
8. Manyawale: August
Manyawale has particularly strong cultural and agricultural significance. Traditional GaDangme documentation states that the Ga Mashi Homowo festival begins during this month, followed by celebrations across other Ga and Dangme areas. The month is also associated with the harvesting of large quantities of yam and cassava. Manyawale is a period of community celebration, harvest and food abundance.
9. Gbo: September
Gbo is particularly important because September is traditionally the beginning of the GaDangme calendar year, even though it falls ninth in the Gregorian system. Traditional documentation describes Gbo as an unsettled, rainy month and identifies it as the start of the traditional annual cycle. The month represents renewal, transition and the beginning of a new year in the indigenous calendar.
10. Antɔŋ: October
Antɔŋ is traditionally associated with sunshine, strong winds and observations of the stars. The GaDangme cultural description mentions a large star appearing with three smaller stars around it and also describes the period as very windy. October is therefore both a meteorologically and astronomically distinctive month in the traditional Ga system.
11. Alemle: November
Alemle is traditionally characterized by dry winds, sunshine and heat. The traditional description also mentions stars appearing in groups. The month reflects the growing influence of the dry season as the year approaches its Gregorian end.
12. Afuabe: December
Afuabe is associated with misty conditions. GaDangme documentation describes the period as very misty. Ga vocabulary sources also connect afua with mist, which provides useful linguistic context for the month’s name. Afuabe closes the Gregorian year but, as noted above, this is not the traditional end of the GaDangme calendar year, which runs from Gbo to Manyawale.
The Traditional GaDangme Calendar Order
Although the modern Ga calendar runs from January to December to match the Gregorian system, the traditional GaDangme calendar follows a different sequence. The year traditionally begins with Gbo in September. Here is the traditional order:
| Traditional Order | Ga Month | Gregorian Month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gbo | September |
| 2 | Antɔŋ | October |
| 3 | Alemle | November |
| 4 | Afuabe | December |
| 5 | Aharabata | January |
| 6 | Oflɔ | February |
| 7 | Otsokrikri | March |
| 8 | Abɛibe | April |
| 9 | Agbiɛnaa | May |
| 10 | Otukwajaŋ | June |
| 11 | Maawɛ | July |
| 12 | Manyawale | August |
The Historical Thirteenth Month: Yaka
The GaDangme calendar once had thirteen months, with each month traditionally covering twenty-eight days. Historical accounts record a thirteenth month called Yaka, which was later eliminated when the calendar was adjusted to align with the European Gregorian system. Yaka’s days were distributed among the remaining twelve months. Traditional accounts describe Yaka as an unproductive month, one during which things were not believed to go well. It should be understood today as a historical feature of the traditional calendar rather than as one of the twelve modern Ga months.
Quick Reference: All 12 Ga Months
| Gregorian Month | Ga Month | Traditional Significance |
|---|---|---|
| January | Aharabata | Dry season, dust and falling dry leaves |
| February | Oflɔ | Flowers, rainfall and sunshine |
| March | Otsokrikri | Strong sunshine and heat |
| April | Abɛibe | Planting, vegetation, wind and butterflies |
| May | Agbiɛnaa | Rain, harvesting and good fishing |
| June | Otukwajaŋ | Appearance of many stars |
| July | Maawɛ | Cooler sea, breezes and abundant fishing |
| August | Manyawale | Homowo and harvest season |
| September | Gbo | Rain and beginning of the traditional year |
| October | Antɔŋ | Sunshine, wind and star observations |
| November | Alemle | Dry winds, sunshine, heat and stars |
| December | Afuabe | Misty period closing the Gregorian year |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is January called in Ga?
January is called Aharabata in Ga. It is traditionally associated with the dry season, dusty conditions and dry leaves.
What is August called in Ga?
August is called Manyawale and is associated with the Homowo festival and the harvest of yam and cassava.
When does the traditional Ga year begin?
The traditional GaDangme calendar year begins with Gbo, which corresponds to September in the Gregorian calendar. The modern standardized list nevertheless runs from Aharabata in January to Afuabe in December.
Did the traditional Ga calendar have 13 months?
Yes. Historical GaDangme documentation describes an earlier calendar with thirteen months, including a thirteenth month called Yaka. The calendar was later reduced to twelve months in alignment with the Gregorian system.
Why the Ga Month Names Matter
The Ga names of the months show how language carries cultural knowledge across generations. Traditional communities did not necessarily separate the calendar from everyday life. The changing seasons could be tracked through rainfall, sunshine and heat, growth of vegetation, farming and harvesting, fishing and changes in the sea, observation of stars, wind and atmospheric conditions, mist and dry-season conditions, and traditional festivals like Homowo.
Manyawale connects the calendar with Homowo and harvest. Maawɛ ties it to the sea and fishing. Abɛibe links it with planting and vegetation. Otukwajaŋ records observations of the night sky. Each name is a window into how GaDangme communities historically read the annual cycle.
You can explore the Ga language further through our Ga Phrase Book or see the month names printed in our Ga Wall Calendar 2027. For broader context on how African languages preserve this kind of knowledge, see our article on African language families and the Gur and Kwa groups of West Africa.
Sources
- Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), Ga (gaa) locale data cldr.unicode.org: standardized Ga month names and Gregorian equivalents.
- GaDangme Online, “Nyɔŋjii (Months)”: traditional month characteristics, traditional calendar order and historical information on the 13-month calendar and Yaka.
Traditional descriptions can vary between communities and sources. The descriptions in this article are presented as documented traditional associations, not as universal definitions of every Ga month name.
Language Roots Hub: Preserving African Languages, One Word, One Story and One Tradition at a Time.
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