Zimbabwean prison argot:

A sociolinguistic/etymological analysis of inmates’ discourse at Whawha Prison in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The prison is a unique discourse community, often characterised by the use of a peculiar commonly shared communicative code. In a country such as Zimbabwe in which inmates generally come from different and diverse ethnolinguistic and sociolinguistic backgrounds, the need for a common communicative code amongst inmates cannot be overstated. Communication amongst inmates is often through ‘cant’, ‘argot’ or slang and these are usually prison specific since they are formulated within. The formulation of prison ‘cant’ is also oftentimes necessitated by inmates’ need to create and own an alternative ‘safe’ interactive linguistic space that ‘evades’ prison authorities due to the ‘cat and mouse’ nature of prison life. Prison is thus here envisioned as a cultural and linguistic space and the linguistic codes used within prison walls can be considered as sociolects or language varieties – more precisely to be conceived of as slang/tsotsitaal. Prison life, thus, has its own value systems and norms which are strengthened through such a linguistic code. Once one gets in prison, he or she adapts to a new culture and language which is spoken by other fellow inmates. Herein, we examine sociolinguistically the etymology of the vocabulary of the discourse of inmates at Whawha Medium Offenders Prison in Gweru, Zimbabwe.