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Slanguage and AIDS in Africa

This article discusses AIDS-related slang in circulation in various African countries, venturing the view that the amount and range of slang on the subject could be a result of distinctive features of the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS: its relative newness; the fact that it is a remarkable occurrence that has had a devastating impact on many African communities; and the fact that it is a stigmatised condition. AIDS is strongly linked to sex and death, and both of these, to a lesser or greater extent, are regarded as taboo topics in most social groups. Highly emotive, sensitive topics are well suited to the indirect, often jocular form of denotation that is characteristic of slang. Specific examples of AIDS-related slang are analysed, and the thinking behind them and their possible significance are considered. The analysis is contextualised within a broader discussion of the characteristics of slang in general, as well as its possible purposes and functions in society.