17. The speaking of Swahili, the native tongue, has been forbidden by Prospero, yet each time he greets Prospero Caliban greets him with the word "Uhuru" which is Swahili for "freedom". This is a symbol of Caliban's defiance and also of his refusal to see Prospero as his new master. He is showing Prospero that his cultural roots lie in pre-Colonial times and that they cannot be taken away from him.