The majority of the US-citizens of African ancestry speak a characteristic variety of English that has been referred to by several names. It has variously been called Non-Standard Negro English, Negro Dialect , Black English Vernacular, Black English, African American English, African American Vernacular English, Ebonics, etc. In this paper, I will use the term African American Vernacular English, abbreviated AAVE, because it is the term most current among linguists today. The term “vernacular” refers to the everyday language spoken by a speech community, often a non-standard variety.
No other variety inside the United States has been studied as much as AAVE. During the last fourty years, many works have been released concerning this topic. This paper is an overview of AAVE. It starts with the historical backgrounds of the variety by discussing the major theories concerning its origin. The main part of this paper deals with AAVE’s linguistic features in comparison to Standard American English. The features are subdivided into the sub-chapters phonology, grammar and vocabulary. A summary forms the final chapter of this paper.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Features
3.1 Phonology
3.1.1 Vowel system
3.1.2 Consonant system
3.1.3 Stress
3.2 Grammar
3.2.1 Time reference
3.2.2 Negation
3.2.3 Other grammatical features
3.3 Vocabulary
4. Summary
Research Objectives and Core Topics
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), examining its historical origins and identifying its unique linguistic characteristics in comparison to Standard American English.
- Historical background and major theories regarding the origin of AAVE.
- Phonological patterns, including vowel shifts and consonant system variations.
- Grammatical structures, specifically regarding time reference and negation.
- Lexical features and the role of vocabulary in AAVE.
- The ongoing academic debate surrounding the classification of the variety.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2 Consonant system
AAVE is r-less, just like the dialects of New England and the old South, but compared to other non-rhotic varieties, not only word-final r or r before a consonant, as in floor and fourth, are absent in AAVE, but also intervocalic r. Thus, Carol and Cal sound the same, i.e. [keq]; they become homophones.
Not only r is vocalized in AAVE, but also l in final position. That is, why this phenomenon is known as “liquid vocalization”. Examples of vocalized l are bell [beq] and pill [piq]. The vocalization of the liquid l creates homophones as well, e.g. you’ll/ your/ you [ju], I’ll/ I [a].
Reductions of word-final clusters are frequent, i.e. in words ending with two consonants, e.g. test, desk, hand and child sound like tess, dess, han and chile. Thus, words like build and bill tend to become homophones. Where a voiced consonant precedes a voiceless one there is no reduction, so words like jump, count, and belt are pronounced as in Standard American English.
The process of consonant devoicing, i.e. making a voiced consonant voiceless, applies to some consonants at the end of words. Words ending in the voiced b, d, g, which become devoiced, are pronounced as p, t and k. This process results in the pronunciation of cab, feed, pig as cap, feet, pick.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines AAVE as a characteristic vernacular variety and outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on linguistic features in comparison to Standard American English.
2. History: This chapter reviews the three primary theories regarding the origin of AAVE, discussing the creolist hypothesis, the dialectologist perspective, and the theory of African linguistic roots.
3. Features: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the phonological, grammatical, and lexical patterns that distinguish AAVE from other varieties of English.
4. Summary: This chapter concludes the paper by summarizing the core findings and highlighting the ongoing complexity and need for further research into AAVE.
Keywords
African American Vernacular English, AAVE, Ebonics, Linguistics, Phonology, Grammar, Vocabulary, Dialect, Creolist Hypothesis, Anglicist Hypothesis, Language Variation, Sociolinguistics, Liquid Vocalization, Negation, Aspect System
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper provides an overview of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), examining its historical origins and analyzing its distinct linguistic features compared to Standard American English.
What are the core thematic areas covered in the document?
The document covers the historical background, phonological patterns (vowel and consonant systems), grammatical structures (time reference, negation), and the unique vocabulary of AAVE.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to synthesize existing linguistic knowledge about AAVE to illustrate how it functions as a unique, rule-governed variety of English despite regional variations.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a descriptive linguistic approach, drawing upon existing academic literature and theories to compare the structural features of AAVE with Standard American English.
What does the main body of the paper discuss?
The main body is subdivided into phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, providing specific examples of speech patterns and rule applications in AAVE.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include AAVE, Ebonics, Phonology, Grammar, Creolist Hypothesis, and Language Variation.
How does AAVE differ from standard English regarding the verb "be"?
AAVE frequently omits the verb "be" in contexts where it would be used in standard English, except for the first person singular, while using an invariant form of "be" to express habitual or frequent actions.
What is the significance of the "creolist hypothesis" mentioned in the text?
It is one of the three major theories regarding AAVE's origin, suggesting that AAVE descended from a creole language that developed from an English-based pidgin during the slave trade era.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Ismail Durgut (Autor:in), 2009, African American Vernacular English, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124211
