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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Akan verbal taboos: traditional and contemporary issues
Author:Agyekum, KofiISNI
Year:2009
Periodical:Research Review (ISSN 0855-4412)
Volume:25
Issue:2
Pages:1-20
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:Ghana
West Africa
Subjects:popular beliefs
sociolinguistics
Akan languages
Akan
Anthropology, Folklore, Culture
Akan (African people)
Language and culture
Social evolution
Creativity (Linguistics)
Taboo, Linguistic
Urban dialects
Abstract:This paper looks at the status of verbal taboos in Akan (Ghana) traditional as well as contemporary society, and the changes that have taken place. The paper shows that language and culture changes have some bearing on verbal taboos. It discusses the functions of verbal taboos in Akan society; use of taboos in various social classes; the influence of taboo expressions on other, non-taboo, expressions, intra as well as interlingually; sociolinguistics of verbal taboos; sanctions on free speech; the current state of verbal taboos especially against the background of the advent of Western education, globalization, Christianity and Islam, and urbanization; the prospects for Akan verbal taboos; and the problems encountered when researching Akan verbal taboos. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French [Journal abstract, edited]
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