Abstract
This article provides an interpretive analysis of Shona native speakers' use of kinship terms of address as forms of communicative resources to invoke social meanings in non-kin relations. Two types of data were used for the analysis of social meanings: (a) field notes from participant observations taken of naturally occurring interactions in public and private spheres over an eight month period (from September 2001 to May 2002) in and around the city of Harare, Zimbabwe and (b) transcriptions of semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with 40 Shona native speakers of varying ages, gender, educational status, occupation and religious affiliation. I demonstrate that the current explanatory address system models are apparently inadequate in their representation of both the complexity and distinctiveness of social meanings. Hence, I advocate the use of more interpretive, ethnographic approaches for the discovery of social meaning.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
