Terms of address in ewe: Asocio-pragmatic investigation

Abstract

This paper examines the address system of Ewe, a New Kwa language ofthe Niger-Congo phylum, spoken in parts of Ghana and Togo. It is shown inthis paper that the types of choices made by speakers when they addressinterlocutors is determined by the relationship that exists between theinterlocutors; this relationship is usually social in nature. The socialindicators involved in the choice of address terms in Ewe include age, socialstatus, and kinship. Data has been collected from various sources, includingdrama on TV, radio talk shows, and observation of actual interactions insome Ewe-speaking communities. © 2008 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.