BLACK VERNACULAR ENGLISH ЭЛИНА НАСИБУЛЛИНА

WHAT IS STANDARD ENGLISH General American is a major accent of American English, particularly considered the American accent that is the most neutral or lacking in distinctive regional, ethnic, or socioeconomic characteristics.

BLACK VERNACULAR ENGLISH It is a variety of American English, most commonly spoken today by urban working-class and largely bi- dialectal middle-class African Americans. It has its distinctive vocabulary, specific phonetic features and grammar rules.

WHAT ACTUALLY IS BLACK VERNACULAR ENGLISH? It is the language of Black America. However, not all 36 million of black people of the USA choose to speak Black Vernacular, especially the educated classes. Other names for Black Vernacular English: Nonstandard Negro English African American English African American Vernacular English Ebonics Black Communications Black Poverty Language Casual Register English

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Beginning of the 17 th century Slave Trade from Africa to America Origins from: African languages like Ghanaian and Nigerian Carribean Creole First used mainly in the South Spread across The United States during The Great Migration (rural South – large metropolitan areas of North Became widely known in the 20 th century

THE BVE SPREADING

STUDYING BVE First research into the character and rules of BVE were carried out in the 1960s Linguists from mainly Northern parts of the country studied BVE Main focus: correspondence of the use of BVE and low academic achievements at the time William Labov (born 1927)

NORM OR DEVIATION FROM IT? INCORRECT USAGE OF LANGUAGE It is done on the spot Has no system Does not cover a certain group of speakers A VARIATION/ A DIALECT OF LANGUAGE Has a historical background, doesn’t vary from speaker to speaker Has a system of rules A permanent group of black and non- black speakers use it every day

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: GRAMMAR BE is dropped When we speak about something that is happening now. GA: She is tired BVE: She tired BE is preserved When we speak about habitual actions or general states. Note! BE is not conjugated. GA: She is funny (always) BVE: She be funny

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: GRAMMAR The Aspect of Number is unimportant: General American 50 cents They were at home She goes to school Black Vernacular 50 cent They was at home She go to school

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: GRAMMAR Verb Conjugation System PRESENT (GA) DO (BVE) DO PAST DID DONE PAST PARTICIPLE HAVE DONE DONE DID (DONE=HAVE)

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: GRAMMAR

NEGATION Ain’t It is a general auxiliary verb for negation. It is used instead of isn’t don’t, etc. I ain’t know that Double Negation In BVE, is the sentence is negative, all negotiable forms are negated. GA: I don’t know anything about it. BVE: I don’t know nothing about it. Also! Starting with negatives is typical: Don’t nobody know her.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: GRAMMAR THEM This personal pronoun is used in Black Vernacular English instead of the demonstrative pronoun THOSE GA: Those flowers are beautiful BVE: Them flowers beautiful

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: LEXIS Lexis of BVE takes root in African languages Many borrowings from Southern American dialect Some words from general casual dialect Some words belonging to BVE are now of common use in General American: Jazz Hip Tote

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: LEXIS Black Vernacular Shine Ice Jigged Wack Word? Hypnotic Whip General American Jewelry Diamonds Looking good Something crazy Really? or Yes Alcohol Car

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: LEXIS Black Vernacular Dumb Wifey Daddy Crib Gear Bob; Gat; Heat General American Excellent, very smart Main girlfriend Main boyfriend Home Clothes Gun

Words for MONEY in Black Vernacular English SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: LEXIS

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: PHONETICS 5 sounds for TH-combination in BVE (compared to 2 in GA) Voiceless/initial position GA: Thing, thank, thigh BVE: thing, thank, thigh (no change) Voiced/initial position GA: That, them, these BVE: Dat, dem, dese

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: PHONETICS Voiceless/medial position: GA: bathroom, birthday BVE: bafroom, burfday Voiced/medial position: GA: mother, brother BVE: muvah, bruvah

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: PHONETICS Voiceless/terminal position GA: with, mouth, path, both BVE: wif, mouf, paf, bof

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BVE: PHONETICS 1.Final B, D, G devoicing: cub  cup, bed  bet 2.NG-endings as N: going  goin, morning  mornin 3.Final consonant reduction: Cold  col Mask  mas Test  tes 4.When 2 consonants are at the end of the word, in BVE they are often interchanged: Ask  aks Grasp  graps

EXAMPLES From the Disney cartoon “The Princess and The Frog” "You blind to what you need” “I be tellin' you." "Money ain't got no heart “ "You yo daddy's daughta"

EXAMPLES “Is you is or is you ain’t my baby” – Louis Jordan’s song written in 1944 Among other famous performers, Anita O’Day ( ) sang it in the early 1950s

IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN’T MY BABY Is you is or is you ain't my baby The way you're acting lately makes me doubt You’s is still my baby, baby Or has that flame in your heart done gone out A fella is a creature that, that has always been strange When you think you're sure of one He’d gone and made a change Is you is or is you ain't my baby Maybe baby found somebody new Or is my baby still my baby true

MUCH OBLIGED FOR YOUR ATTENTION! ANY QUESTIONS? I WILL BE PLEASED TO ANSWER!