Abstract
In the speech genre of beta = Io7il 'joking speech' Tojolab'al women use the ambiguity of indirect speech to negotiate their relationship to social norms and cultural values in the midst of everyday conversation. Indirection and ambiguity involve the intersection of form, function, and meaning in lexical, grammatical, and conversational structure. Ambiguity permits criticism and conflict in the context of cooperation and social solidarity.

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