Black Vernacular English
- noun
- /blæk vərˈnækjʊlər ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
- Specialized
:
inglés vernacular negro
- I like to see other Black people have an appreciation of Black vernacular English.
Examples
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Many African American students express themselves fluently in Black Vernacular English during casual conversations.
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In literature, characters often use Black Vernacular English to reflect their cultural identity and heritage.
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The instructor emphasized the importance of understanding Black Vernacular English to appreciate the richness of African American culture.
Synonyms
4
9.6
A way of speaking American English that many African Americans use
1
9.1
A way of speaking English used mainly by African Americans in the United States
1
6.9
A form of American English with its own grammar and words, often spoken by African Americans
A way of speaking English used by many Black people in the United States with its own sounds and grammar
A way of speaking English used by many African Americans with its own grammar, words, and sounds
A way of speaking English with its own grammar, sounds, and words used by many African Americans
A way of speaking English used by many Black people in the United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
black + vernacular + English
The meaning is compositionally derived from 'black' (relating to people of African descent) + 'vernacular' (the common dialect of a group) + 'English' (the language), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to the everyday dialect of Black speakers of English. This is not idiomatic or metaphorical and follows a cross-linguistic, predictable noun-noun composition pattern.
Etymology
Black Vernacular English is a name made by language experts to describe the everyday English used by many African American communities. Here vernacular means 'everyday speech' people use at home, so the name points to a regular, living variety of English rather than the more formal style taught in school.