Oheneba is a regal rank given to both female or male child of a king or chief. It is the equivalent of prince or princess (from Latin princeps, meaning principal citizen).
Most often, the term has been used for the child of a king, or for the daughter of a king.[1][2][3][4]
The twi word derives, via the twi and akan word ohene, meaning "the chief or king" and ''ba'' also via a twi and akan word, meaning child, with the two meaning the ''chief's child'' or the ''king's child''.[3][2][1]
Oheneba as a courtesy title
editIn the Akan tradition and Akan chieftaincy, the child of a king or chief does not ascend the throne when his or her father dies due to their Matrilineal inheritance and succession.[5][6][7] However the children are given the title Oheneba which means the ''chief's child'' or the ''king's child''.[4][8][9] The title is maintained even when their fathers (the king) passes on.
Notable people with the title Oheneba;
- Oheneba Lesley Akyaa Opoku Ware (Daughter of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the 15th King of the Ashanti Kingdom (Asantehene)[10]
- Oheneba Adusei Poku (Son of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the 15th King of the Ashanti Kingdom (Asantehene)[11][12]
- Oheneba Mensah Bonsu (Hiahene) (Caretaker and Uncle of Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II)[13][14]
Oheneba as a given name
editOheneba as a name; Oheneba can be a given name of a male child in Akan ethnic group to signify how precious the child is in the Akan parlance.
Notable people with the given name;
- Oheneba Boachie-Adjei
- Oheneba Kow Aduako Richardson
- Oheneba Krabea[15][16]
References
edit- ^ a b Christaller, Johann Gottlieb (1881). A Dictionary of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi (Chwee, Tw̌i): With a Grammatical Introduction and Appendices on the Geography of the Gold Coast and Other Subjects. Evangelical Missionary Society.
- ^ a b Studies, University of Ghana Institute of African (1966). Research Review - Institute of African Studies. Institute of African Studies.
- ^ a b Boateng, Joe. A (2009). The Royal In-Law. Switzerland: Integritas Services. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-7978-0026-7.
- ^ a b History in Africa. African Studies Association. 2004.
- ^ Ayittey, G. B. N. (2006-01-01). Chapter 4. The African Chief. Brill Nijhoff. ISBN 978-90-474-4003-1.
- ^ Henige, David (1975). "Akan Stool Succession under Colonial Rule-Continuity or Change?". The Journal of African History. 16 (2): 285–301. doi:10.1017/S002185370000116X. ISSN 0021-8537. JSTOR 180816. S2CID 162709947.
- ^ Owiredu, P. A. (1959). "The Akan System of Inheritance Today and Tomorrow". African Affairs. 58 (231): 161–165. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a094638. ISSN 0001-9909. JSTOR 719384.
- ^ Berry, Sara (2001). Chiefs Know Their Boundaries: Essays on Property, Power, and the Past in Asante, 1896-1996. ABC-CLIO, LLC. ISBN 978-0-325-07002-5.
- ^ Romero, Patricia W. (1988). Life Histories of African Women. Ashfield Press. ISBN 978-0-948660-04-7.
- ^ "Her Highness Lady Victoria Opoku-Ware II". The Times. London. 23 March 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Damirifa Due: Tributes to Otumfuo Opoku Ware II (late Asantehene 1970-1999). 1999.
- ^ Ghana Studies. Vol. 5–8. African Studies Program, University of Wisconsin. 2003. pp. 109–133.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Meet Asantehene, his wife and children". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
- ^ The Enstoolment of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene. 1999.
- ^ "Oheneba Nkrabea now a GIS student on $160,000 scholarship". The Ghana Report. 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ Starrfm.com.gh (June 2021). "Rasta case: I was scared the judge will be bribed - Oheneba Nkrabea — Starr Fm". Retrieved 2021-12-04.