AAVE Which means: The Fundamentals of African American Vernacular English
75
Although technically its personal dialect from normal or British English, American English has many dialects of its personal, too. One such dialect is African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, and also you most likely hear it daily. Relying on the place you reside and what era you might be, you might even use it daily—even if you happen to’re not African American.
However the place did AAVE start, and is it completely different sufficient from American English to be thought of its personal language? Study all concerning the that means of AAVE, the way it’s completely different from different types of English, and the numerous AAVE examples which are already in your conversational speech.
What’s AAVE?
AAVE (pronounced in 3 ways: av, rhyming with “have,” ah-vey, or spelled out A-A-V-E) is a type of American English that originated in and is primarily spoken by the Black group. Often known as Black English Vernacular (BEV), AAVE has a singular vocabulary, grammar, and phonics system that separates it from Commonplace American English (SAE) and different American English dialects.
Though AAVE is a contemporary time period, it describes a method of talking that has developed within the Black group over the past a number of centuries within the US. Historic sources for contemporary AAVE embody West and Central African languages (resembling Mandinka, Yoruba, Hausa, and Gola) and Southern American regional dialects courting again to interactions between enslaved African folks and white Southern settlers.
Is AAVE a dialect or a language?
Whereas some could think about AAVE a language, it’s nearer to being a dialect of American English. Many linguists think about AAVE to be an English semi-creole (a language combined from a number of different languages), just like different creoles like Cajun French.
AAVE vs. Ebonics
An earlier time period for African American Vernacular English was Ebonics, a portmanteau of the phrases “Ebony” and “Phonics.” Coined in 1973 by social psychologist Dr. Robert Williams, the idea was meant to outline and destigmatize the speech patterns of the Black group.
Ebonics has been a controversial motion in linguistics, notably within the Nineteen Nineties, as lecturers argued whether or not it might be thought of a separate language from English or thought of a dialect of the Black group. The time period AAVE grew to be extra standard on-line in 2020, and in the present day it’s a extra widespread option to seek advice from Black speech sounds and phonics patterns, in addition to particular AAVE phrases and phrases.
AAVE phonics and grammar fundamentals
So how is AAVE completely different from Commonplace American English? A number of attributes of AAVE phonics and grammar set it aside from different English dialects or types. Some defining options of AAVE embody:
- leaving the letter “g” off “-ing” phrases
- talkin’ as an alternative of “speaking”
- utilizing “be” as an alternative of “is” or “are”
- “I be workin’ late tonight.” as an alternative of “I am working late tonight.”
- eradicating linking verbs altogether
- “She my boss.” as an alternative of “She is my boss.”
- utilizing prepositions in questions
- “The place you at?” as an alternative of “The place are you?”
- leaving the letter “s” off present-tense verbs
- “He play all day.” as an alternative of “He performs all day.”
- double negatives with the phrase ain’t
- “We ain’t obtained no cash for that.” as an alternative of “We don’t have any cash for that.”
- saying an ending “-th” sound as “-f”
- “My toof hurts.” as an alternative of “My tooth hurts.”
- announcing “ask” as aks
- Aks that man if he is aware of the time.
Examples of AAVE phrases and phrases
AAVE phrases aren’t simply standard within the Black group. The truth is, it’s grow to be so widespread in on a regular basis speech that many American slang phrases have roots in AAVE, lengthy earlier than youngsters in different ethnic teams started including them to group texts and social media posts. Some date again to the early Twentieth-century jazz period, whereas others have grow to be extra standard in recent times.
| AAVE Phrase | English Which means | Instance Sentence |
| ain’t | isn’t or aren’t | You ain’t invited to my home. |
| bestie | finest good friend | I’ll sit subsequent to my bestie. |
| wager | sounds good | We going out tonight? Guess. |
| bogus | faux or fraud | That man’s story is bogus. |
| bougie (boujee) | overly fancy (bourgeoisie) | Her new automotive is so bougie! |
| bro (brother) | good friend or buddy | Bro, you’re by no means gonna imagine this. |
| catch arms | begin a battle | Step again or catch these arms. |
| fam | pals and family members | Hey fam, what’s up? |
| finna | fixing to (about to) | I’m finna ask her out. |
| hella | very | That film is hella humorous. |
| hip | fashionable, updated | Are you hip to the information? |
| lit | very enjoyable | I heard that occasion was lit! |
| no cap | I’m not mendacity | No cap, Ray advised me he was movin’ away. |
| periodt | the ultimate phrase | LA is healthier than NYC, periodt. |
| rizz | charisma, attractiveness | That dude has critical rizz. |
| salty | irritated or bitter | I’m nonetheless salty about what Mia stated. |
| trippin’ | appearing weird or exaggerating | Are you trippin’? Don’t textual content me so late! |
| what’s good | how are you (what’s up) | Hey bro, what’s good? |
| yo | hey (or an exclamation) | Yo, the way you doing? |
Whereas many of those phrases look like they started in American English, many even have West African origins and first appeared in AAVE. For instance, the phrase bogus could have roots within the Hausa phrase boko-boko, that means “deceit.” And the slang phrase hip, that means “nicely knowledgeable,” additionally has AAVE roots, seemingly from Wolof hipi.
Many AAVE phrases proceed to evolve, similar to phrases in another lexicon (checklist of phrases). When evaluating the spellings of bougie vs. boujee, for instance, the boujee spelling had a big surge in 2016—the identical yr that artist Migos launched the track “Unhealthy and Boujee.”
AAVE is commonplace in musical genres developed by Black artists, together with hip hop, R&B, and rap. Like jazz and blues earlier than them, some of these music are merchandise of the Black expertise in America, and their lyrics use AAVE to replicate the voices of the Black group. Distinguished Black artists who sing or rap in AAVE embody B.B. King, Billie Vacation, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar, and Lizzo.
As a result of AAVE is extra generally spoken than written, most of its identifiable traits are what you’ll be able to hear relatively than learn. Nonetheless, books that includes Black characters, resembling Their Eyes Had been Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, typically use AAVE in each dialogue and narration.
AAVE can be a well-liked option to talk on-line or by way of texting, which has led to extra standardized utilization and spelling within the twenty first century.
Language can symbolize id, tradition, and expertise
When you perceive AAVE’s that means, each in historical past and in fashionable utilization, you’ll be able to respect AAVE examples that you simply hear in on a regular basis life. Greater than slang, greater than regional dialect, AAVE represents the id of the Black group solid over centuries in America, based mostly on a spread of experiences.
However AAVE isn’t the one linguistic illustration of tradition and expertise all through historical past. Study extra about how Rosetta Stone works to find extra concerning the historic context of languages—and to discover studying a brand new language your self.
