African American English in general is used to describe a wide range of language varieties spoken mostly by the black population in the United States. During the past decades however multiple names and definitions have been established including Black English (BE), Ebonics, Black Vernacular English (BVE), and African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The term “Negro Non-standard English” used until the late 1960s has been abolished by now due to the fact that it insinuates the presence of a superior “White Standard English”
In the preface of her book African American English: A Linguistic Introduction Lisa GREEN points out that there has been a substantial amount of linguistic research on AAE, oftentimes however neglecting a closer look at the structural patterns and features. This is where the focus of the paper presented shall be on. After some developmental and socio-historical background information concerning AAE, phonological, morphological, and grammatical attributes will be examined and subsequently illustrated by an exemplary analysis of three different rap songs. The focal point here lies in the lyrical/ textual presentation of AAE in rap music and not in the actual vocal performance.
The aim of this paper and the entailed analyses is to ascertain whether AAE consequently aims for persistent, stable patterns on some or even all linguistic levels or if certain features occur in a more elective, non-obligatory way. The rap songs chosen for the analyses offer a creditable alternative to hard to find authentic text material and display sufficient characteristic of AAE. A complete version of each rap text is attached in the appendix of this work. The textual extend of this paper is substantiated in the amount of examples given to illustrate features of AAE.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Origins, Development, and the Socio-historical Background of AAE
- Features of AAE
- Phonological Features of AAE
- The "th"
- Consonant Cluster Reduction and Simplification
- The non-rhotic "r"
- Grammatical Features of AAE
- Negation
- Time Reference
- Morphological Features of AAE
- The Verbal -s
- Past Morphology
- Genitive Marking and Absence of Attributive Possessive –s
- Copula Absence
- Phonological Features of AAE
- Exemplary Analysis
- Phonological Features
- Grammatical Features
- Morphological Features
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to investigate the linguistic features of African American English (AAE) and determine whether these features demonstrate consistent, stable patterns across different linguistic levels or if their occurrence is more elective. The analysis focuses on the textual presentation of AAE in rap music lyrics, using selected rap songs as a readily available source of AAE examples. The study does not analyze vocal performance, but rather the written lyrics. * The socio-historical development of AAE. * The phonological features of AAE. * The grammatical features of AAE. * The morphological features of AAE. * The representation of AAE in rap music lyrics.Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces African American English (AAE), clarifying its various names and definitions (e.g., Black English, Ebonics, AAVE). It highlights the existing linguistic research on AAE, often neglecting detailed structural analysis, and states the paper's objective: to analyze phonological, morphological, and grammatical features of AAE, illustrated through an exemplary analysis of rap lyrics. The chapter emphasizes the focus on textual, not vocal, presentation of AAE and justifies the use of rap lyrics as a readily available source material. The aim is to determine whether AAE exhibits consistent linguistic patterns or more elective features. Origins, Development, and the Socio-historical Background of AAE: This chapter explores the complex and debated origins of AAE, presenting the different theories surrounding its development: the Anglicist theory (AAE originating from British dialects), the Creolist theory (AAE emerging as a creole language), and the Neo-Anglicist position (early AAE being more similar to its white counterpart). The chapter also examines the sociolinguistic factors influencing AAE's development, such as the contact between African slaves and European masters, the impact of the slave trade, and the subsequent periods of segregation and migration. It emphasizes the lack of direct evidence (like recordings of slave speech) and the reliance on indirect sources, contributing to the diverse perspectives on AAE's origins. The chapter touches upon the challenges of establishing a clear timeline for AAE’s development, owing to the varying regional, demographic, and economic circumstances in which language contact occurred. The chapter details Donald Winford's four-stage model for the development of AAE, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of the language contacts. It concludes by discussing the evolution of AAE beyond simply a language variety, into a commercially viable component of Black Entertainment and the role of rap and hip hop in its representation. Features of AAE: This chapter defines linguistic features as characteristics distinguishing one language variety from another. It emphasizes the non-uniform use of AAE features, influenced by speaker, context, and formality. It then provides an overview of key phonological, grammatical, and morphological aspects of AAE, noting that the chapter only provides a basic introduction to these complex areas. The summary points to the lack of uniformity in feature usage amongst speakers.Keywords
African American English (AAE), Black English, Ebonics, AAVE, phonology, morphology, grammar, sociolinguistics, language contact, creolization, rap music, hip hop, linguistic variation, dialect, socio-historical development.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of African American English
What is the overall topic of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive overview of African American English (AAE), including its origins, development, key linguistic features (phonological, grammatical, and morphological), and its representation in rap music lyrics. It aims to analyze whether these features demonstrate consistent patterns or are more elective in their use.
What topics are covered in the Table of Contents?
The Table of Contents includes an introduction, a section on the origins and socio-historical background of AAE, a detailed look at the features of AAE (phonological, grammatical, and morphological aspects), an exemplary analysis section applying these features to real-world examples, and finally, a keywords section.
What are the main objectives and key themes of the study?
The main objective is to investigate the linguistic features of AAE and determine whether these features are consistent across linguistic levels or are used more selectively. The study focuses on the written lyrics of rap music as a readily available source of AAE examples. Key themes include the socio-historical development of AAE, its phonological, grammatical, and morphological features, and its representation in rap music lyrics.
What are the chapter summaries?
The Introduction sets the stage, defining AAE and its various names, highlighting previous research gaps, and stating the paper's objective to analyze AAE features using rap lyrics. The chapter on Origins, Development, and Socio-historical Background of AAE explores competing theories about AAE's origins (Anglicist, Creolist, Neo-Anglicist), the sociolinguistic influences on its development, and challenges in establishing a clear timeline. The Features of AAE chapter defines linguistic features and provides an overview of AAE's key phonological, grammatical, and morphological aspects, emphasizing the non-uniform usage of these features.
What are the key phonological features of AAE discussed?
The document mentions the pronunciation of "th," consonant cluster reduction and simplification, and the non-rhotic "r" as key phonological features of AAE.
What are some key grammatical features of AAE discussed?
The document highlights negation and time reference as key grammatical features of AAE.
What are some key morphological features of AAE discussed?
Key morphological features mentioned include the verbal "-s," past morphology, genitive marking (or lack thereof), and copula absence.
What is the methodology of the exemplary analysis?
The exemplary analysis uses rap music lyrics as a readily available source of AAE examples. The analysis focuses on the textual, written form of the lyrics, not on vocal performance.
What are the keywords associated with this study?
Keywords include African American English (AAE), Black English, Ebonics, AAVE, phonology, morphology, grammar, sociolinguistics, language contact, creolization, rap music, hip hop, linguistic variation, dialect, and socio-historical development.
What are the different theories regarding the origins of AAE?
The document discusses the Anglicist theory (AAE originating from British dialects), the Creolist theory (AAE emerging as a creole language), and the Neo-Anglicist position (early AAE being more similar to its white counterpart).
Why were rap lyrics chosen as the data source?
Rap lyrics were chosen as a readily available source of AAE examples for analysis. The focus is on the written lyrics, not the vocal performance.
Does the study analyze vocal performance?
No, the study focuses solely on the textual presentation of AAE in written rap lyrics; vocal performance is not analyzed.
- Quote paper
- Janine Lacombe (Author), 2012, Features of African American English in the Context of Language Varieties, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/267180
