Phonological, Morphological, and Syntactic Characteristics of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) Descriptive, not Prescriptive (It describes general speech patterns of a particular population; it does not prescribe how one must speak to be considered correct in that dialect.)
Often the subject of vicious racist humor.
Sometimes the subject of more lighthearted... racist humor. Clip from the movie Airplane (1980). Screenplay by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Arthur Hailey, Hal Bartlett, & John C. Champion.
Phonological (sound) Patterns Some phonological endings not pronounced: /g/, /t/, /d/, /s/, & /z/ deleted at end of words. Fine & find pronounced identically as fin’ Meant, mend & men pronounced identically as men’
Phonological Patterns Liquids often not pronounced. /l/ frequently deleted. Toll & toe pronounced identically Hoe & hole pronounced identically /r/ sound often deleted, except before pronounced vowel sounds. Sore, saw, & sir pronounced identically as sah E.g. the slang expression for “I’m really tired”: I’m tore up from the floor up. I to’ up from the flo’ up.
Phonological Patterns Interdental fricative /th/ as in "bath" pronounced as labiodental fricative /f/. Bath pronounced baf Mouth pronounced mouf
Morphological (word structure) Patterns "s" denoting plural eliminated; number used instead. The students walked to school. Two student walked to schoo’.
Morphological Patterns "s" denoting possession deleted. Alex's car Alex car Caitlin’s annotations Caitlin annotation
Morphological Patterns "s" denoting 3rd person singular to verbs deleted Sarah walks to school. Sarah walk to school.
Syntactical (sentence structure) Patterns Double Subject: following the named subject with the appropriate pronoun. Paul and Audrey are joking around. Paul an’ Audrey, they jokin’ aroun’.
Syntactical Patterns Indicating negation with a Double Negative, as with French & Spanish. There isn’t any bread. There ain’t no bread. Jessy doesn’t mean anything by it. Jessy, she don’t mean nuffin’ by it.
Syntactical Patterns Simplification of “to be” linking verb, using 3rd person singular for all cases, whether past or present. I am working. I’s workin’. We are working. We’s workin’. We were working. We was workin’.
OR one might see the Zero Copula, entirely omitting “to be” where Standard American English uses am, is, and are. Denotes momentary action: Kevin is waiting for me right now. Kevin, he waitin’ fo’ me. Syntactical Patterns
Syntactical Patterns: Habitual Be Habitual Be inserts “be” to denote habitual action, something that happens all the time. Madison is always having to wait for me. Madison, she be waitin’ fo’ me. (“All the time” is implied.) Mr. Bliss always gives us annotation assignments. Mr. Bliss, he be givin’ us annotation assignment. (Note dropped plural on “assignments.”)
Zero Copula vs. Habitual Be Zero Copula Christine is being clever right now. Christine, she clever. Habitual Be Christine is always clever. Christine, she be clever.
Zero Copula vs. Habitual Be This difference makes witticisms possible in AAVE that aren’t possible in SAE, for example, Audrey, you just said something clever, but you aren’t usually so clever. Audrey, you clever, but you don’ be clever.
Past Perfect with Habitual Be I have been working a lot lately. I’s bin workin’. We have been working all the time. We’s bin workin’. Mr. Bliss has been giving us a lot of annotation assignments. Mr. Bliss, he bin givin’ us annotation assignment.
Mother to Son Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor — Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now — For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Langston Hughes, 1922