This term paper will mainly focus on the morphological studies of Lisa J. Green who is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Texas and who published a linguistic introduction to African American English which focuses on the phonological, morphological, syntactical and semantic properties of this variety of American English.
In this paper we will firstly have a closer look at the well researched areas of African American English like origins and (social)history. Subsequently, certain morphological features like verbal –s, past morphology, genetive marking and copula absence will be illustrated. To bring evidence for the linguistic theses concerning morphology that will have been made in the first part, rap texts by two well-known African American rap artists will be taken into account. This is due to the fact that authentic texts with sufficient morphological features of African American English are not easy to find. However, rap lyrics offer a wide range of morphological features that can provide evidence for many linguistic theses illustrated in this paper. On account of this, this paper will analyze 60 rap texts by the African American artists Kanye West and Talib Kweli.
The aim hereby is to see whether African American English consequently pursues a morphological pattern or if the features occur optionally. Is the widespread prejudice among many non-linguists true? Namley that African American English is a non-rule-based variety of English?
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Background of AAE
2.1 Terminology and Short Outline
2.2 Debate on the Origin and Development of AAE
2.3 The sociohistorical background for the evolution of AAE
3 Morphological Features
3.1 Verbal –s
3.2 Past Morphology
3.3 Absence of Attributive Possessive –s & Genetive Marking
3.4 Copula Absence
4 AAE features in African American rappers’ lyrics
4.1 Verbal –s
4.2 Past Morphology
4.3 Absence of Attributive Possessive –s & Genetive Marking
4.4 Copula Absence
5 Conclusion
6 List of references
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the morphological properties of African American English (AAE) by analyzing authentic linguistic data from contemporary rap lyrics. It aims to determine whether AAE follows consistent morphological patterns or if specific features appear optionally, thereby addressing the prejudice that AAE is a non-rule-based variety of English.
- Evolution and sociohistorical background of African American English.
- Morphological analysis of verbal -s, past tense forms, and possessive/genitive marking.
- Investigation of copula absence within AAE syntax.
- Empirical application of linguistic theory to 60 rap tracks by Kanye West and Talib Kweli.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Verbal –s
One of the main characteristic features of African American English is the absence of third person singular, present tense –s. The verb that occurs with the third person singular subject is not marked with an –s. Green gives the following sentences an example:
(1)
When he come down here, I be dn talked to him.
*When he comes down here, I have usually already talked to him.
But verbs can also be denoted with verbal -s, which may have a number of different functions like third person singular agreement marker, narrative present marker and habitual marker. In the narration of events the verbal –s is often used, as does an example from a TV show shows: A nineteen years-old African American girl narrates (Green 2002: 100).:
(2) He had called me Wednesday afternoon and asked,
The girl uses verbal-s although the subject of the sentence is I and Standard English only uses verbal –s with the third person singular. Verbal –s is also used within descriptions of habituals, as exemplified below:
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the research focus on morphological studies of AAE and states the intention to analyze rap lyrics as empirical evidence.
2 Background of AAE: This section covers the terminology, historical debates regarding its origin, and the sociohistorical phases of its evolution.
3 Morphological Features: This chapter details the theoretical foundations of specific AAE features, including verbal -s, past tense, possessive markings, and copula usage.
4 AAE features in African American rappers’ lyrics: This practical chapter applies the previously discussed linguistic theories to an analysis of lyrics by Kanye West and Talib Kweli.
5 Conclusion: The paper summarizes that while AAE is a distinct and complex system, its morphological features exhibit significant optionality and variability.
6 List of references: Provides a comprehensive list of the academic sources and musical works cited in the paper.
Keywords
African American English, AAE, Morphology, Verbal -s, Past Morphology, Copula Absence, Genitive Marking, Rap Lyrics, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Evolution, Lisa J. Green, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Vernacular, Language Variation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this academic paper?
The paper investigates the morphological structure of African American English (AAE) and how these features manifest in the lyrics of prominent hip-hop artists.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
Key areas include the sociohistorical origins of AAE, theoretical linguistic descriptions of its morphology, and an empirical analysis of specific syntactic and morphological markers.
What is the primary research objective?
The goal is to determine if AAE functions as a systematic, rule-based variety of English or if its features are used optionally and inconsistently.
Which linguistic methods are employed?
The author utilizes a descriptive sociolinguistic approach, combining secondary literature review with a qualitative content analysis of 60 selected rap song lyrics.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The body explains theoretical morphological features such as verbal -s usage, past tense constructions, genitive marking, and copula absence, followed by evidence-based analysis of these features in music.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The paper is best characterized by terms such as African American English, AAE, Morphology, Sociolinguistics, and Linguistic Variation.
How does the author evaluate the "verbal -s" feature in rap lyrics?
The analysis reveals that while the absence of -s is common in AAE, artists frequently use it in non-standard contexts, suggesting that the feature is used optionally and is not bound to standard grammatical rules.
Does the author find significant regional differences between the artists?
The research concludes that there is no striking difference between the AAE spoken by the Chicago-born artist Kanye West and the New York-raised artist Talib Kweli in the analyzed lyrics.
- Citation du texte
- Yasemin Genc (Auteur), 2009, The Morphology of African American English in African American rap lyrics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138198
