Gender and Sexuality Linguistic Taboos: A Case of Mɔ and Nnyabi in Ewe and Mampulli

This paper investigates the cultural underpinnings that govern the use or disuse of sexually explicit Ewe and Mampulli verbs mɔ and nnyabi (have sex) among native Ewe and native Mampulli speakers. A longitudinal study approach and interviews were employed to collect data over a twelve-month period among Ewe speakers of Aflao in the Volta Region of Ghana and Mampulli speakers of Nalerigu in the North East Region. Findings reveal that the cultural underpinnings that govern these taboo words are, first, the Ewe and Mampulli cultures regard sex act as a sacred thing and that using such explicit words in talking about it is too raw and uncultured; second, both cultures are patriarchal or male dominant; third, they permit polygamy but frown on polyandry; finally, the two cultures frown on homosexuality. This study provides a window into the Ewe and Mampulli cultures, and by extension the African culture, as regards the topic of sexuality. Moreover, it would enable the reader to fathom why the dominant African culture’s position on homosexuality is not a question of hatred but of culture clash.