Encoding politeness in African urban youth languages: evidence from Southern Africa

Abstract: African urban youth languages (AUYLs) often function as languages of resistance and “anti-languages”, establishing alternative semiotic spaces. In this paper, we analyse the encoding of politeness and respect in AUYLs, drawing on examples from Southern Africa, and show that they have complex systems of politeness marking, comparable to the matrix languages on which they draw. This includes different types of address forms, polite reference forms, and the use of avoidance language. There are lexical and morphological strategies to achieve politeness in AUYLs and these can be used to express both negative and positive politeness. The picture that emerges from this study is consistent with previous findings showing the structural complexity of AUYLs. However, the paper suggests that the presence of complex politeness marking in AUYLs may reflect the complex, and at times ambiguous, relation of AUYLs with established, mainstream norms.
Iz’ncamtho zontanga basematoni eAfrica eziringwa African urban youth languages ngesiVeti zivamise ukuspana njengeringaz zesmoko oro ezasedanyaneni. Ziyi-way amagents azikhulula ngayo kutaal zabothayima labo oledi. Kuleli’bhampiri sisesha ngokuspana kwe-politeness le-respect ekuringeni kontanga, sisampula iz’ncamtho zeMzansi waseAfrica, siyabonisa ukuthi i-politeness ibhaya kuringaz, tholukuthi icishe ifane lesiyithola ekusampeni kwabothayima labo oledi. I-politeness kuz’ncamtho itshunwa ngendlela ezibhaya ezifana lendlela zokukhodana, istayela samagama angajampisiyo, lamagama oku avoyida ismoko. Kuneztayela zokutshuna amagama oro ukwakhiwa kwawo ukuze le-politeness ispane kahle. Kukhona le-politeness yesijita besekuba yile yokuskrekana. Esikufrustana kuleli’bhampiri kungu 6 lo 9 lalokhu okutholwe ngabanye ngez’ncamtho ukuthi zi-complexnyana lazo njengokuringa konke. Ibhampiri leli lifrustana ukuthi lobucomplexnyana be-politeness kuz’ncamtho bubonisa i-relations ezicomplex lokuspanisana phakathi kwez’ncamtho letaal zabothayima labo oledi.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Encoding politeness in African urban youth languages: evidence from Southern Africa ; volume:10 ; number:s4 ; year:2024 ; pages:331-341 ; extent:11 ; Linguistics vanguard ; 10, Heft s4 (2024), 331-341 (gesamt 11)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Gibson, Hannah ; Marten, Lutz ; Ndlovu, Sambulo

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/lingvan-2022-0147
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2411291918385.554800364158
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:23 AM CEST