ABSTRACT
To begin at the most elementary level, ‘yes’ facilitates conversa tion in any language and provides in the Western Desert Aboriginal language the chorus for natural discourse. In Abori ginal society nearly everyone is a participant in discussions, and ‘yuwa’ or its dialectal variant ‘uwa’ provides each person present with a way to demonstrate his accord with the discussion, and by so doing to participate in the unanimity being produced. It is at once a concurrence and an assertion of trust and friendship. In most instances approval is obvious without such concurrence. Besides, one ‘yuwa’ is capable of standing for the approval of all because Aboriginal contributions are commonly formulations on behalf of the sentiments of the entire gathering. After several such declarations of approval, one would think that more declarations would be superfluous, but such a cascade of affirmations is important as ‘phatic communion,’ the function of which is not to convey meaning but to produce fellowship (Malinowski 1923: 315).
