The Evening Conversation of the Efe Pygmy Men and Its Social Implication: A Men's Display to Women

Abstract

The evening conversations of the Efe Pygmy are described and analysed. The conversation process is divided into calm phases (c-phases) and excited phases (e-phases). While in c-phase, calm and ordinary speech is heard, in e-phase, loud and rapid speech is heard. In c-phase, adult women sometimes participate in the conversation. However, in e-phase, they do not and only adult men speak. In e-phase, adult men mutually support one another's assertions, and rarely contradict each other. It is shown that in e-phase, the pragmatic variables e.g., loudness, rapidity of speech, function to make women remain silent and to draw the attention of women to the men's conversation. It is suggested that the e-phase is a collective display towards women by the men in which they demonstrate their mutual supporting relationship.