African American Vernacular African American Vernacular EnglishEnglish

Camila Navarro M.

African were brought over as slaves.African were brought over as slaves.

Origins/locationOrigins/location

Southern varity of english, which spread Southern varity of english, which spread northward during the 1920’s migration.northward during the 1920’s migration.

From Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and From Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina to Chigago, Detroit, New South Carolina to Chigago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Not all African Americans are speakers of Not all African Americans are speakers of African-American English and not only African-American English and not only

African Americans speak African-African Americans speak African-American English.’American English.’

African American Vernacular African American Vernacular EnglishEnglish

Is a systematic and rule-governed dialect, Is a systematic and rule-governed dialect, just like all language varieties, standard or just like all language varieties, standard or non-standardnon-standard

Verb be.Verb be.

StandardStandard Black EnglishBlack English

She’s the first one She’s the first one started us offstarted us off

She the first one started She the first one started us offus off

We’re on tapeWe’re on tape We on tapeWe on tape

They’re not caughtThey’re not caught They not caughtThey not caught

Double NegationDouble Negation

Use of Use of ain'tain't as a general negative  as a general negative indicator. As in other dialects, it can be indicator. As in other dialects, it can be used where Standard English would used where Standard English would use use am notam not, , isn'tisn't, , aren'taren't,,haven'thaven't and  and hasn'thasn't..

e.g I ain’t got no money e.g I ain’t got no money

Examples.Examples.

httphttp://://www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com//watch?vwatch?v==Iw5cN6neql8Iw5cN6neql8

httphttp://://www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com//watch?vwatch?v==gTpH5E7UbjwgTpH5E7Ubjw&&featurefeature==relatedrelated

References.References. • • Akmajian, A., Demers, R., Farmer, A. y Harnish, R. (2006) Linguistics. An Akmajian, A., Demers, R., Farmer, A. y Harnish, R. (2006) Linguistics. An

Introduction to Language and Communication.Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Introduction to Language and Communication.Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Chapter Seven. Language variation (pp.286-339)Press. Chapter Seven. Language variation (pp.286-339)

Jannedy, S., Poletto, R., Weldon, T. (1994) (eds.) Language Files.Materials for an Jannedy, S., Poletto, R., Weldon, T. (1994) (eds.) Language Files.Materials for an introduction to language and linguistics. Department of Linguistics, The Ohio State introduction to language and linguistics. Department of Linguistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus: Ohio State University Press.University, Columbus: Ohio State University Press.

File 12.5 Language and ethnicity: the case of African-American English, pp.380-386File 12.5 Language and ethnicity: the case of African-American English, pp.380-386