AAVE

African-American Vernacular English (AAVE)

Introduction to AAVE

• AAVE, also known as Black English or Ebonics, is a variety of English.

• Not all African-Americans speak AAVE; it is not used uniformly.

• Influencers from the African-American community may learn and use AAVE.

• AAVE is not a single entity; it has regional varieties and variations.

Origins of AAVE

• Two primary theories regarding the origins of AAVE:

  • Dialectologist Hypothesis: AAVE is considered an archaic form of British dialects.

  • Creole Hypothesis: AAVE developed from a West African pidgin formed through historical contacts.

• Research since the 1980s suggests a potential blend between these two hypotheses, indicating divergence from Standard American English (SAE).

Dialectologist Hypothesis

Key Features

• AAVE displays similarities to certain British dialects:

  • Lack of third-person singular 's' in the present tense (e.g., "He go.").

  • Influences from Anglo-Irish and Scottish dialects:

    • Example from Anglo-Irish: "He be working every day."

    • Example from Scottish: "He done worked."

Weaknesses of the Theory

• Southern Whites do not retain these features, weakening the argument.

• AAVE incorporates elements from multiple British dialects.

• Differences in meaning between AAVE and SAE can lead to misinterpretations (termed camouflage):

  • Example: "She been married" has different implications for AAVE and SAE speakers.

Creole Hypothesis

Development of AAVE

• AAVE is believed to have stemmed from a West African pidgin, originating during the 1500s from maritime interactions.

• With the slave trade, this pidgin was transported to the Americas, competing with other African languages such as Wolof.

• During slavery, interaction between African languages, pidgin English, and Standard English contributed to the development of AAVE through a process known as decreolization.

Gullah

Overview

• Gullah is a form of AAVE spoken in coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia, retaining conservative language features due to geographic isolation.

• It shares many lexical and phonological similarities with West African languages.

West African Influence

• Gullah showcases phonological and semantic similarities with languages like Mende:

  • Words such as "gban" (Gullah) align with "gba" (Mende).

  • Vocabulary in Gullah largely derives from West African languages.

Grammatical Features of AAVE

Common Features

• Repetition of subjects (e.g., "John, he live in New York.")

• Formation of questions without auxiliary verbs (e.g., "What it come to?")

• Singular and plural forms treated the same (e.g., "one girl, two girl")

• Verbs show no tense (e.g., "I know it good when he ask me.")

• Non-inflection for person (e.g., "I know, he know")

• Use of "done" to indicate completion (e.g., "I done go.")

Recent Debates on AAVE Origins

Shifts in Understanding

• Studies since the 1980s have prompted reevaluation of the origins of AAVE:

  • Analysis of historical conditions of slaves on plantations.

  • Emergence of recording technology aiding in the study of AAVE.

  • Connections with other English-based creoles.

New Evidence Findings

• AAVE not solely developed from U.S. creole but may have been influenced by Atlantic creoles.

• Differences between AAVE and SAE are more about degrees rather than categorical distinctions.

• The dialectologist and creole theories may coexist synergistically, suggesting both British dialect influence and creole roots.

Divergence Hypothesis

Labov's Perspective

• William Labov proposed a divergence hypothesis, reversing previous assumptions:

  • AAVE and SAE are undergoing convergence.

  • AAVE is experiencing decreolization, becoming more like Standard English.

Distinctive Features of AAVE

• Newly recognized features of AAVE that differentiate it from SAE:

  • Use of "be done" to indicate resultative actions.

  • Narrative present tense (e.g., "The lil' boy, he comes and hit me right?").

  • Habitual aspect marked by "be V-ing".

Differences in Socioeconomic Context

Socioeconomic Influences

• Divergence between AAVE and SAE reflects socio-economic disparities between speakers, fostering a distinct African-American identity.

• AAVE is acknowledged as a legitimate dialect of English, due to its mutual intelligibility with SAE.

Phonological Differences Between SAE and AAVE

Phonological Features

• AAVE characteristics include:

  • No consonant pairs (e.g., "jus" for "just").

  • Monophthongization (e.g., "rat" for "right").

  • Omission of /r/ in certain positions (e.g., "mow" for "more").

  • Transformation of "th" sounds (e.g., "dem" for "them").

Distinct from Southern English

• AAVE shows unique consonant cluster reductions, differing from standard Southern English.

• Reduction varies with suffixes, causing structural contrasts (e.g., "tester" vs. "tesser").

Unique Features of AAVE

Common Features

• Final nasal sounds may undergo reduction: [man] to [mã].

• Deletion of final consonants, especially nasals: [faiv] to [fa:].

• Devoicing of final stops, creating different phonetic structures.

• Loss of the "y" sound after consonants.

Tense and Aspect

Understanding Aspect

• Aspect relates to the completion or continuation of an action, which is often obligatory in AAVE instead of tense.

• Example illustrating continuative aspect: "I was watching TV when the phone rang."

• Example indicating completion: "I have been to Disneyland twice."

Use of "Be"

• The verb "be" carries aspectual meaning in AAVE, indicating habitual or futuristic actions.

• Example: "You making sense, but you don’t be making sense."

Completion Indicators

Usage of "Been"

• "Been" denotes action recently completed, typically following a perfective aspect formalization.

• Example: "She been tardy twice this semester."

Usage of "Done"

• "Done" highlights recent action completion as well, e.g., "I done my homework today."

Relative Clauses in AAVE

Example Structures

• AAVE often employs unique relative clause constructions:

  • Example: "He got a gun sounded like a bee."

  • Standard relative clauses in SAE use specific qualifiers (e.g., who, that).

Summary of AAVE vs. SAE

Conclusion

• AAVE is a legitimate dialect of English, with its distinct phonological and syntactic rules.

• It has influenced Southern dialects and maintains a significant aspect system that sets it apart from other English dialects.