Patterns of speech not only reflect grammatical laws but also point to the relation between the verbal system of a language and its sociocultural context. The ethnography of speaking sees language and speaking as a cultural system whose values and principles are important for social interaction and the definition of gender roles.

The anthropological study of women and language in Islamic societies is strongly influenced by the social positions that were ascribed to women. On the basis of Islamic law and traditional patrilineal society Muslim wome…