Swahili. Perceptions of gender in Swahili language and society

1.Introduction 2.Noun classes in Swahili 2.1Swahili noun classification and agreement 2.2Animate nouns 2.3Coordination 2.4Personal nouns 3.Referring to women and men 3.1Lexical and covert gender 3.2Kinship terms and terms of address 3.3Overt gender marking: Attributing ‘female/male’ 3.4Obscene language 4.Gendered speech 4.1 Upole ‘gentleness’: Restrained speech as a cultural ideal on the Swahili coast 4.2Texts on textiles: Equivocal messages 5.Conclusion Notes References