Scope this with infra-reds, Black English is not what people usually think it is. Read something about it. Hope these slides help you see through what media brings up.

1. Department of Languages
PUC Minas - Sociolinguistics/ Dialectology
Prof. Rodrigo Pelegrini Honorato
Enfoque Letras

2. How it all started…
Back in the dates -
Migration from England to
the USA, Slaveholders, Uncle
Toms, Africans, skin color
(yellow bone, red bone), lack
of reading and writing;

3. African American Vernacular English –
(AAVE)
 AAVE is colloquially known as Ebonics,
which is a portmanteau / combination of
“Ebony” and “Phonics” also called Black
English, Black Vernacular, or Black English
Vernacular (BEV);
 It has pronunciation characteristics in
common with various West African
languages, Creole, and British English.

4. Warm-up
Is there a specific grammar?
Is BEV “incorrect”, “inappropriate”,
or “sloppy”?
Do black people linguistically
suffer because of it?
Is it accepted in the Business
world?

5. Warm-up
 What is slang? How much slang does
Ebonics have?
 How is slang used?/What is it for?
(DEA/FBI)
 Does every single black person speak BEV?
 Is it very different from Mainstream
English/ Standard English?
 Are African Americans bilingual? “Code
switch proposed by Garrard McClendon.

6. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
1. Reduction of a word-final consonant
Hand = Han’ About = ‘Bou
Passed = pas’ Perfect = Perfec’
Desk = des’ Right = Righ’
Friend = frien’ Left = lef’

7. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
2. Deletion of word-final single
consonant.
Cat = ca’ chat = cha’
Vet = ve’ Get = gi’
That = da’ Shit = shi’

8. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
3. Realization of final “ng” as “n” in
gerunds:
Walking = walkin’
Talking = talkin’
Mc Donalds’ slogan = I’m lovin’ it!

9. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
4. Realization of voiceless “th” as “t” or “f” or “v”:
Nothing = nuttin’, nu’in, nuffin’
Thin = tin
Keith = Keif
Death = Deaf
*Brother = Brover

10. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
5. Realization of voiced“th” as “d”:
That = da’
Brother = broda, bro’, bruh.
The = da (50 Cent – In da Club)
This = dis

11. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
6. Realization of “thr” sequence to “th”:
Threw = thew
Threaten = thweten
I’m throwed! = I’m thowed!
(I’m fresh,I’m cool = I’m clean = No stain on me)

12. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
7. Deletion or vocalization of “r” after a
vowel: It also happens in British English.
Sister = sistuh, sis’ Water =
watah
Gangster = gangsta For sure = fo’
sho’ (Fo’ shizzle!)
Your = yo’ Open the
door! = open da do’!

13. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
8. Deletion of unstressed initial “a”
About = ‘bou(t) “Cuz dey kno’ ‘bout dat,
hataz bettah chill plus I’m packin’ somn dat
dey classify as steal...” by TRAE
Afraid = ‘frai (d)’
Among = ‘mong

14. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
9. Swap “ai” for “ah” such as in:
I’m = “ah’m”
Time = t”ah”m
My car= mah ca:
While = wh’ah’le
“I’m hot cuz I’m fly, you ain’t cuz ya
not.” by MIMS

15. Pronunciation Features of
AAVE
10. Deletion or reduction of the
sound“v” in words ended in –”ve”:
Love = luv
I love you = I lu’ ya!
I believe in God = “Ah” belie’ in Go’.
They deserved it = Dey deser’d it.

17. Grammatical Features

18. Grammatical Features
 In AAVE or colloquially Ebonics, the verb “be” is often
not included. See some examples:
Ebonics Standard English
He all right He is all right
She at home now She is at home now
Where you at? Where are you?
He workin` He is working

19. Grammatical Features
 The use of the verb “be”, in Ebonics, is simplified to
“be”, “was”, “wuz” or “is”, for all persons.
Ebonics Standard English
I be here everyday I am here everyday
She my homegirl She is my close friend/ girlfriend
We was here yesterday We were here yesterday
You my homeboy You are my best friend

20. Grammatical Features (Song)
“Nigga you’s a window shopper
Mad at me, I think I know why
Nigga you's a window shopper
In the jewelery sto’, looking at shit you can't buy
Nigga you's a window shopper
In the dealership, trynna get a test-drive
Nigga you's a window shopper
Mad as fuck when ya see me ride by”
50 Cent – Window shopper

21. Some Slang Terms in AAVE
Man, you nuts! I do mah thang!
She my sis! How ya doin’?
He my bro!
How ya been?
Who you?
Where ya stay? What’s poppin’?
What’cha gon’ do tonight? What’s crackin’ ?
“Dont’cha wish yo Wuz gud?
girlfriend wuz hot like Fo sho! = Fo shizzle
me?” by Pussy Cat Dolls What it is yo’?
She bad! = Smokin’ hot!
What up? = Wussap?
Smoke show!
She badder! Sup?
She da baddast! What it do? (Houston,TX)
Whoa, dat’s a smoke show! Lemme git back to da
Don’t pay’em any mind! grind!
Dat’s what she said! Ya got chris-browned?

22. Negative Sentences (Double
Negative)
 I ain't step on no line. = I didn’t step on any
line
 I ain't belie’ed what she said, man. = I did not
believe in what she said.
 I ain't seen nobody. = I have not seen anybody.
 I ain't see nu’in = I didn’t see anything
 I ain’t no liar = I am not a liar.
 I ain’t got no cheddar = I don`t have any
money

23. Grammatical Features (Song)
Ain't no mountain high
Ain't no valley low
Ain't no river wide enough, baby
If you need me call me
no matter where you are,
no matter how far (don't worry baby)
just call out my name.
I'll be there in a hurry
You don’t need to worry
'Cause baby there
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe
By Marvin Gaye

24. Immediate Future
 “Be + going to” is generally replaced by
other terms such as:
1. Finna (about to) – I finna hit the mall.
2.Fixin’ to – I’m fixin’ to go home!
3. I’mma - I’mma do somn now. I’mma call
ya later!
4. Fittin’ to – What’cha fittin’ to do homie?
5. Gon’ – She gon’ be here in a blink of an
eye.

25. Challenge – Reading in Ebonics
 What y'all up 2? Damn it! I been lookin' fo' dat jawb fo' a
long tahme. Whatcha think we shoo b doin' 'bout dat shit?
What I can letcha kno' bah now is dat I applied fo' it. I
ain't no snitch but I needa keep on stackin' up da dough,
ya knowmsayin?
 I finna jet cuz ya kno' I gotta flip a bird 2nite so I finna git
da slab ready, nahImean? Damn, peep dis shit out nigga, a
car fulla white girls to be taken to dat 'hood where ya
smoked dat fuckin' punk. Whattama tell ya is dat ain't
nobody gon' put da hands on mah doja, ya heard? I'mma
bus da goddamn cap on dey ass if dey fuckin' jump at it,
aaight. Lemme head out cuz five-oh 'bout to show up!

26. Sleep on it!
“Black English is not
all slang, but all
black slang is Black
English.”

27. Reference Books
 Akmajian, Demers and Harnish - LINGUISTICS An
Introduction to Language and Communication –
Second Edition (315-320) Cambridge University Press,
University of Arizona
 LABOV, William – Introduction to African American
and Latino English – (122-145)
University of Pennsylvania
 LABOV, ASH and BOBERG – Atlas of North American
English - Department of Sociolinguistics/ University
of Pennsylvania

28. Keep it Throwed!
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
“Da limits o’ mah language mean da limits o’ mah world.”
* Ludwig Wittgestein