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Volume 17, Issue 2
  • ISSN 1878-9714
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Abstract

This study examines the noun forms of address (NoFA) used by touts, employees who solicit business for Kenya’s minibuses, to navigate social interactions. It addresses two questions: (i) What noun forms do touts use to hail passengers? (ii) How do these forms align with or diverge from Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory, and what do they reveal about power, hierarchy, and cultural norms? The data were collected through soundwalking, observational notes, and audio recordings at three public transport stations in Eldoret, Kenya. A qualitative analysis shows that touts use noun forms in English, Swahili, Sheng (Swahili-English slang), and native languages, including fictive kinship terms, formal titles, status indicators, endearments, physical descriptors, and epithets. These linguistic practices foster social bonds, assert authority, and facilitate economic transactions. Highlighting NoFA’s fluidity and multifunctionality and advocating for broader recognition of informal communication in non-Western settings, this study transcends traditional politeness models.

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2025-09-15
2026-05-14

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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): matatu touts; multilingualism; noun forms of address; politeness; soundwalking; urban spaces

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