Sociolinguistics

Variables

The overarching category (what you would call a carbonated beverage)

Variants

The actual realization of a variable (pop, soda, cola, etc)

Habitual Be

inserting “be” instead of “always” or “usually”

negative concord

double negative meaning a negative (he didn’t do nothing wrong)

null copula

dropping of “is” and “are” (but not “am” or “was”) (she pretty)

camouflage construction

features of AAE that most non-speakers aren’t aware of (he calls himself a cook → he calls himself cooking), because they appear on the surface to be standard English, and they use it incorrectly. (saying “we be going” on one instance of leaving, which is not how the habitual be is used)

syllable timed vs stress timed

tendency in Chicano English to make all syllables the same length of time, vs standard English, timing is based off of stressed syllables

non-reduction to schwa

In standard English, we schwa vowels (like in Because and Today), but in Chicano English, they don’t

high front vowels

[i] [I] merger into a single vowel sound (swimming → swimeen)

Structural Convergence

use of barely to mean recently