LANGUAGE OF CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE AMONG AKANS

ABSTRACT

 Marriage is a universal cultural practice. However, its enactment is culture specific. Among the Akans, the customary marriage is one important aspect of its culture which is celebrated to establish a lasting union between married couples. Since language and culture are highly interwoven, the importance of language in the contract of Akan customary marriage cannot be over-emphasized. This study does a linguistic analysis of the language of Akan customary marriage, focusing on how language is used to express the culture of the people. The study is essentially based on primary data recorded from selected Akan customary marriage ceremonies. The study examines how language is used as a tool in the expression of concepts such as negotiation, persuasion, conflict resolution and linguistic etiquettes; which are all crucial to the marriage contract. The stylistic devices in the language are also explored. The study reveals that the embellishment of the language of the spokespersons with the use of such stylistic devices as metaphors, proverbs and humor is highly appreciated. Again, adept linguistic skills are required for negotiations, conflict resolutions and the expression of linguistic etiquettes such as thanking, greetings and requests. The effective use of language in these situations ensures a smooth and peaceful marriage contract. Using Fairclough’s (1995) model of Critical Discourse Analysis, the study reveals a strong interrelation between the text, discourse practice and socio-cultural practice. Thus, both speakers and audience must draw on a common socio-cultural knowledge in the production and interpretation of texts for effective understanding.