The study investigates silence (tidimalo) as communicative behaviour in Setswana and fills in a gap in scholarship by showing the cross-cultural meanings and contexts of silence. The article presents the role of silence in various contexts, such as the family, the church, meetings, the constitution, and conversations, and argues that, in such contexts, silence conveys positive meanings such as peace, humility, order, and respect and negative meanings such as subordination, oppression, and anger. The article examines the meanings of silence in Setswana through looking at the use of familiar Setswana proverbs and idioms. By juxtaposing the contexts and meanings of silence with Setswana proverbs and idioms, the article is able to demonstrate interplay between language, culture, and belief. The article concludes that silence is an integral part of communication found in various speech communities.

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