In:Consensus and Dissent: Negotiating Emotion in the Public Space
Edited by Anne Storch
[Culture and Language Use 19] 2017
► pp. 105–122
Chapter 6Emotion, gazes and gestures in Wolof
Published online: 10 March 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/clu.19.06col
https://doi.org/10.1075/clu.19.06col
Abstract
This article explores a hitherto non-studied dimension of emotion, namely that related to its exteriorization in Wolof, an Atlantic language spoken in Senegambia. It focuses first on triggering factors of irritation such as ‘unconventional gazes and inattention, showing also that it is possible to manifest emotional state through interjections, sound emissions and facial expressions. Furthermore, the paper analyses the conceptualization of ‘shame’, emphasizing the relevance of the cultural setting. The article ends by shedding light on the various attitudes related to this embodied experience.
Keywords: Senegal, Atlantic Languages, Wolof, emotion, emotional state, triggering factors, irritation, facial expressions, shame
Article outline
- Introduction
- 1.Irritation
- 1.1Gaze as trigger
- 1.2Inattention as Trigger
- 1.3Interjections and sound emissions
- 1.4Facial expressions
- 1.4.1Dilation of the eyelashes
- 1.4.2Expansion of the lower eyelid
- 1.4.3Xeelu
- 2.Shame and related attitudes
- 2.1Understanding the concept of shame in Wolof
- 2.2Related attitudes
- Conclusion
- Author queries
Notes Abbreviations References
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Cited by (3)
Cited by three other publications
Seel, Laura & Nico Nassenstein
2024. “Show your feelings!”. In Anthropological Linguistics [Culture and Language Use, 23], ► pp. 331 ff.
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