Ebonics anyone?

by openminded 17 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  theshrink

  Dear Openminded,

  The exercise you posted in translating standards English (SE) text into Ebonics might be cute for some but for others, it may be seen as a grossly inacurate display of insensitivity. Do you know what Ebonics is?

  Ebonics is a complex psycholinguistic structure that is derived from the social historical background of how Africans became African-Americans. As you know, Africans were taken from their homeland and brought to Uninted States for slavery. Thus, they had to learn English vocabulary. The reason I said vocabulary and not language was because we all know that the slavemasters did not allow the slaves to study the syntax and grammar of the English Language. Therefore, the slaves did exactly what anyone else would do while trying to communicate in a foreign language. They used the vocabulary of the target language and the syntax and grammar of their native language. To illustrate: In your little exercise, everywhere you deleted the consonant cluster (th) and substituted the letter (d), is because consonants do not occur in clusters in West African languages. Everywhere you deleted the (r) sound is because this sound does not exist in West African languages.

  I have merely given you two examples of the thousands of correlaries between Ebonics and West African languages. I will give you credit for the fact that you referred to this complex linguistic structure by the correct name, Ebonics. There are those who still like to refer to it as Black English or non-standard English. You are also right about the study of linguistics being interesting. I particularly find it fascinating how these social and historical dynamics of an individual group of people shape their lexical repertoire. However, I'm not quite sure that I would agree with your humorous presentation of this linguistic phenomena. This issue is at the heart of many social academic and employment problems that African-Americans are faced with today, thus the lack of humor. I hope that this posting leads you to more scientific inquiry on this fascinating subject. I welcome your reply.
• 

  openminded

  I am quite aware of "complex psycholinguistic structure" as I am studying it in a 300 level anthropology class. It is also found in other dialects such as Pidgen and Creole. If you find this offensive? then PLEASE do not look at it. I never made the assumption that all Blacks use all these patterns all the time (or even use any). If you find this offensive then PLEASE do not look at it as I am serious about my ability to translate English into this legitimate dialect.

  OM

  By the way I have run some of this past several of my friends, who happen to be black, and they thought it was quite good.

  Interest has increased in developing English as a second language (ESL) programs for African-American children who speak Black English. Recently the Oakland CA. Unified School Board adopted a policy that addresses the need to teach children who use "Ebonics" how to understand the difference between Ebonics and "Standard English" and learn to appropriately "code switch". For more information see Oakland Policy and their Amended policy statement.
• 

  openminded

  Some examples of Black English follow:

  1. Indicating habitual action through verb structure, notably using the form "be" as a verb. This use of be derives from an aspectual verb system that is also found in many African languages. Its use conveys the speaker's meaning with reference to the qualitative character and distribution of an action over time.

  "He be hollering at us", "I like the way he be psyching people out"

  2. Indicating remote past through verb structure, notably using "been" with stress.

  "She been gone"

  3. Predication with optional copula The sense of complete predication conveyed by a noun followed by an adjective, adverb, verb, noun, or prepositional phrase. This is common in many West African languages, (e.g., in Kimbundu, Ene macamba, literally "They friends")

  "He real little", "They in the house", "My momma name Joyce"

  4. Semantic Inversion, turning a word into its opposite. This feature is familiar in Mandingo, a ka nyi ko-jugu, literally, "It is good badly", or it is so good that it's bad.

  5. Appropriating and secularizing church terms. Some terms are derived from the Traditional Black Church.

  "On T", "Testify"

  6. Pronominal apposition, repeating the subject for emphasis. This feature is common in Yoruba, Eya me, ot cu, literally, "My mother, she has died"

  7. Use of speech acts, that are either not in White English at all or are not used according to the same set of social rules of speaking.

  Signifyin'- the verbal art of insult
  Dozens- a form of signification where one signifies on anothers kinfolk.
  Use of Proverbs- "What goes around, comes around", "A hard head makes a soft behind"

  8. Signaling of possession by context and/or juxtaposition. No use of inflectional -z (written as apostrophe s)

  "My daddy name John"

  9. Tonal Semantics The use of voice and rhythm and vocal inflection to convey meaning. This gives Black speech its songified or musical quality. Both Black rappers and preachers use word sound to communicate at deeper levels to which words alone cannot convey. Examples include shouting, intonational contouring, use of rhyme, repetition and alliterative word-play.

  From a strictly linguistic view, Smitherman(1995) indicates that West African languages are tone languages. The speakers of these languages rely on the tone with which they pronounce syllables, sounds, and words to convey their meaning.

  The space does not allow for a full exploration of examples of Black English. For a more thorough coverage of this topic the reader is referred to Smitherman (1977); Dandy (1991); Major (1970); Labov (1972); Dillard (1972); Rickford (1975); Kochman (1972,1981); Baugh (1983); and Spears (1984).
• 

  BluesBrother

  Come, come.. perhaps we should remember to speak the Queens English, as we say in this part of the world!

  Sloppy speech is just that, and can occur in all cultures . It seems to have been "dignified" by association with black Americans.

  Similar things have been tried here, Bibles in Cockney , or the Yorkshire dialect .

  But it is just poor Eenglish.
• 

  openminded

  Come, come.. perhaps we's should remember ta speak da Queens English, as we's say in dis here part o' da world!
  Sloppy speech iz just dat, an' can occur in all cultures . It seems ta gots been "dignified" by association wiff negroid Americans.

  Similar things gots been tried here, Bibles in Cockney , or da Yorkshire dialect .

  But it iz just poor Eenglish.
  slap mah fro!
• 

  Tatiana

  openminded-did ya see dis thread?

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=19119&site=3

  April
  I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe; I told it not, my wrath did grow. (William Blake, A Poison Tree)
  http://www.network54.com/Forum/171905
• 

  bigboi

  Openminded:

  Very intersting stuff in your last couple posts. I think if the subject of Ebonics were introduced according to the educational aspect of the actual origins of African American linguistics, then it might have had a shot. When the issue first became public a few yrs back, the media stories gave the impression that the Ebonics was just an attempt to justify so-called "bad English".

  Thanks for the infomation.

  ONE.....

  bigboi
• 

  RipVanWinkle

  Anybody for y'allbonics?

  >The Association of Southern Schools has decided to pursue some of the seemingly endless taxpayer dollar pipeline through Washington designating Southern slang, or y'allbonics, as a language to be taught in all Southern schools. The following are excerpts from the Y'allbonics/English dictionary.

  >HEIDI - (noun) - Greeting.
  >HIRE YEW - Complete sentence. Remainder of greeting. Usage "Heidi, Hire yew ?"
  >BARD - (verb) - Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow." Usage "My brother bard my pickup truck."

  >JAWJUH - (noun) - The state north of Florida. Capitol is Lanner. Usage "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck."
  >BAMMER - (noun) - The state west of Jawjuh. Capitol is Berminhayum. Usage "A tornader jes went through Bammer an' left $20,000,000 in improvements."
  >MUNTS - (noun) - A calendar division. Usage "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck, and I ain't
  >herd from him in munts."

  >THANK - (verb) - Cognitive process. Usage "Ah thank ah'll have a bare."
  >BARE - (noun) - An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage "Ah thank ah'll have a bare."
  >IGNERT - (adjective) - Not smart. See "Arkansas native." Usage "Them bammer boys sure are ignert !"
  >RANCH - (noun) - A tool used for tight'nin' bolts. Usage "I thank I left my ranch in the back of that
  >pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago."

  >ALL - (noun) - A petroleum-based lubricant. Usage "I sure hope my brother from Jawjuh puts all in my pickup
  >truck."
  >FAR - (noun) - A conflagration. Usage "If my brother from Jawjuh don't change the all in my pickup truck,
  >that thing's gonna catch far."
  >TAR - (noun) - A rubber wheel. Usage "Gee, I hope that brother of mine from Jawjuh don't git a flat tar in my
  >pickup truck."
  >TIRE - (noun) - A tall monument. Usage "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I sure do hope to see that
  >Eiffel Tire in Paris sometime."

  >RETARD - (verb) - To stop working. Usage "My grampaw retard at age 65."
  >FAT - (noun), (verb) - a battle or combat; to engage in battle or combat. Usage "You younguns keep fat'n,
  >n' ah'm gonna whup y'uh."
  >RATS - (noun) - Entitled power or privilege. Usage "We Southerners are willin' to fat for are rats."
  >CHEER - (adverb) In this place. Usage Just set that bare rat cheer.

  >FARN - (adjective) - Not domestic. Usage "I cuddint unnerstand a wurd he sed ... must be from some farn
  >country."
  >DID - (adjective) - Not alive. Usage "He's did, Jim."
  >ARE - (noun) - A colorless, odorless gas. Oxygen. Usage "He cain't breathe ... give 'im some ARE !"
  >BOB WAR - (noun) - A sharp, twisted cable. Usage "Boy, stay away from that bob war fence."
  >HAZE - a contraction. Usage "Is Bubba smart ?
  >Nah...haze ignert. He ain't thanked but a minnit'n 'is laf."
  >SEED - (verb) - past tense of "to see". Usage "Billy Bob seed Bubba over'ta the fill'n station yester'd."
  >VIEW - contraction (verb) and pronoun. Usage "I ain't never seed New York City ... view ?"
  >GUBMINT - (noun) - A bureaucratic institution. Usage "Them gubmint boys shore is ignert.