Sociolinguistics AAVE Ebonics Adapted from Aj Jacob’s lecture and Do You Speak American

What is Ebonics? ‘Black English Vernacular’ (BEV), ‘African American Vernacular English’ (AAVE) in academic community. Also, – NONSTANDARD BLACK DIALECT – BLACK ENGLISH – AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH [AAE] – EBONICS [USEB] – BLACK COMMUNICATIONS [BC] – BLACK POVERTY LANGUAGE – CASUAL REGISTER ENGLISH – RAP

Non-prestige dialects of English A common preconception about non-prestige dialects or colloquial forms of English is that: – They are unsystematic and ‘lazy’ forms of language – They are either reflect or even encourage illogical thought.

However we must remember that: These varieties are just as systematic as prestige varieties of English. There is no basis for claiming that their phonology, morphology or syntax reflects 'illogical' or lazy thinking.

What Are Some Characteristics of AAVE? Vocabulary Grammar Sounds Culture History

Vocabulary What does it mean? Cat “a friend, a fellow, etc.” Cool “calm, controlled” Dig “to understand, appreciate, pay attention” Bad “really good” Phat “very positive”

VOCABULARY: [BE] LEXICON WITH [SE] MEANINGS [BE] [SE] THE TRUTHTHE REAL DEAL, BEST THING GOING DUMBEXCELLENT; VERY SATISFYING SHORTIEA GOOD LOOKING GIRL WIFEYMAIN GIRLFRIEND DADDYMAIN BOYFRIEND GRUBFOOD GEARCLOTHES KICKS, BUNNIESSNEAKERS AIR FORCE ONES, G-NIKESGANGSTER NIKE SNEAKERS AIR JORDAN 18SNEAKERS WORN BY MICHAEL JORDAN SOLDIERSREBOK CLASSICS IN SNEAKERS CRIBHOME THE HOODTHE (HOUSING) PROJECT COPBUY or GET WEAKA SUCKER 5-0; PO-POCOPS, POLICE, AUTHORITY BLITZEDALL PARTIED OUT, STONED SCREDSCARED BAGGEDARRESTED BOB; GAT; HEATGUN BODIEDKILLED CELLYCELL PHONE O.G.ORIGINAL GANGSTER [LEADER]

THE CANJAIL SMOKEWEED (MARIJUANA) BLUNTGETTING HIGH JACKPHONE CHILL OUTTO STOP ACTION OR HANG OUT HOMES; HOMEA PERSON FROM THE SAME TOWN DOG; GODFRIEND HOMEBOY, HOMIEA GOOD FRIEND HOMESLICEBEST FRIEND SPORTIN’TO WEAR A NEW STYLE; SHOW OFF FRONT or FRONTIN’TURNING ON A FRIEND; BACKSTABBING BOOK; SCRILLA; CAKEMONEY BOUNCELEAVE [“LET’S BOUNCE”] WE OUT-TEEWE ARE LEAVING JETTIN’; DIPPIN’LEAVING QUICKLY SCRUBA BUM; NOT GOOD IN SPORTS OR ANYTHING STEP OFFBACK OFF; BEAT IT; LAY OFF; CROKE YOA CALL TO SOMEBODY FRESHNEW A’IGHT or I-GHTOK, ALL RIGHT SICKGOOD LOOKING SNEAKERS TYPEVERY [“I’M TYPE HUNGRY!”] VOCABULARY: [BE] LEXICON WITH [SE] MEANINGS [BE] [SE]

Grammar For example: AAVE: “He be trippin’” SE: “He is trippin’” – or AAVE: “I been done my homework” SE: “I have had my homework done for a long time” – Where “to be” is omitted altogether: AAVE: “He going to work today.” SE: “He is going to work today.” – or AAVE: “You the one who put your hand on the stove.” SE: “You are the one who put your hand on the stove.”

Omission of auxiliary verbs 'Standard English'Ebonics He is happyHe happy He is lateHe late They're mineThey mine I'm gonna do itI gonna do it

How Did AAVE Develop? Creole vs. Dialect Hypotheses The Debate

Creole Hypothesis

The language that they developed in an English- speaking setting could be considered a pidgin since it was only used in a purely functional context. The pidgin was passed down through generations as a primary language, at which point it became a creole.

Problems with Creole Hypothesis Demographic conditions in the US and the Caribbean did not meet the conditions necessary for the emergence of a full-fledged creole. Distinctive features of AAVE today actually have a precedent in various varieties of English spoken in Great Britain and the Southern United States.

Dialect Hypothesis No formal education in standard English Hardly any contact wit their masters Pick up little bits A fragmented dialect

Relevant questions and evidence in relation to AAVE. From the point of view of the creolist/dialectologist debate, the fundamental question is whether a significant number of the Africans who came to the United States between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries went through processes of pidginization, creolization and (maybe) decreolization in acquiring English (the creolists' position), or whether they learned the English of British and other immigrants fairly rapidly and directly, without an intervening pidgin or creole stage (the dialectologists' position). Source:

Discussion

Some linguists maintain that the distinctive language variety used by African Americans was formed primarily in the 20th century and that it may still be becoming more dissimilar from mainstream American English. What do you think might have caused a divergence of AAE from other varieties of English? Why would a group develop and maintain a distinct variety of English?

Does language divide people in America? Must the multiple varieties of English spoken here divide people – is it an inevitable consequence? Or, are there ways you see people choosing various modes of expression that originate in different speech communities?” Or can you think of examples in which people who speak different dialects of English cooperate in many endeavors? Are you familiar with the language situation in another country that offers a different perspective on this issue of separation by language?

What do you assume about people when you hear them speak (e.g sex, age, attitudes, personality)? What assumptions do you think people make about you based on the way you speak? Are some of these assumptions wrong? Are such assumptions similar to or different from those made about people based on visually observable attributes? Discuss the usefulness and the dangers of such assumptions.

Discussion

Do you think it’s right to correct students who speak AAVE? Who’s responsibility is it to do this? We hear about the benefits of correcting and speaking standard English but what about the negatives?