Why Ga and Ewe Came to Google Before Twi and dagbani—and Why That Still Matters
When people hear that Twi—one of Ghana’s most widely spoken languages—was not the first Ghanaian language on Google, they are often surprised. In reality, the story behind Ghanaian languages on Google reveals how grassroots effort, linguistic structure, and evolving technology shaped who appeared online first. In 2011, Ga and Ewe became the first indigenous Ghanaian languages on Google Search. At that time, Google wasn’t adding languages based on population size. Instead, it relied on community translation efforts—volunteers who could organize, translate, and standardize the Google Search interface. A group of students from MEST, led by Frank Tawiah, mobilized quickly. With guidance from language experts, they translated Google’s interface into Ga and Ewe. That meant buttons, menus, and prompts—small things that made a big difference in accessibility. So why not Twi? Unlike Ga or Ewe, Twi exists as part of a family of Akan dialects. Choosing one written form for a national interface in...