African American Vernacular English
- noun
- /ˈæfrɪkən əˈmɛrɪkən ˈvɜrnɪkjələr ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
- Specialized
:
inglés vernáculo afroamericano
- We read Boutte (2007) and invited her to talk to us about African American Vernacular English.
Examples
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The use of African American Vernacular English can be seen in various forms of popular music and literature.
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Take for example, African American Vernacular English, also called Black English or Ebonics.
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The majority of Black children in Philadelphia grow up in neighborhoods where the predominant dialect is African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
Blog text (13) -
In Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "The Lesson" (1972), the narrator, Sylvia, speaks and narrates in African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
Academic text (2003) -
Many scholars study African American Vernacular English to understand its unique grammatical features.
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In classrooms, teachers may incorporate African American Vernacular English to connect better with their students.
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
A way of speaking English with its own grammar, sounds, and words used by many African Americans
A variety of American English many Black people speak, with different pronunciation, grammar, and words
A way of speaking English used by many Black people in the United States with its own sounds and grammar
Surface Forms
Morphology
African + American + vernacular + English
The phrase is fully compositional: 'African American' identifies a social group and 'vernacular English' denotes the everyday dialect of a community, so together they denote the variety of English spoken by African Americans. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words and their basic senses can readily infer this meaning, even if some cultural background is helpful.
Etymology
African American Vernacular English began when people who spoke African languages mixed their speech with English during slavery and in Black communities. The name shows this: African, American, Vernacular, and English, and 'vernacular' means 'everyday speech'. Because it kept its own grammar, words, and sounds, African American Vernacular English is now a recognizable form of English used by many African Americans.