The Sociolinguistics of Thanking in Akan

The Akan cherish people who are grateful. The paper addresses the language of thanking in Akan under expressive speech acts and linguistic routines. The paper gives ethnographic situations and communicative events for thanking including, (1) thanking after child birth; (2) thanking in joyful occasi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kofi Agyekum
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nordic Africa Research Network 2010-06-01
Series:Nordic Journal of African Studies
Online Access:https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/204
Description
Summary:The Akan cherish people who are grateful. The paper addresses the language of thanking in Akan under expressive speech acts and linguistic routines. The paper gives ethnographic situations and communicative events for thanking including, (1) thanking after child birth; (2) thanking in joyful occasions: marriage and wedding; survival from accidents, achievements, promotions, bequeathing of properties, (3) funeral activities, (4) thanking after arbitration, (5) ironical thanking (indirect thanking), and (6) thanking at the shrine. We will consider socio-cultural functions and the current state of thanking in Akan society.
ISSN:1459-9465