Ebonics started in the south. English was learned by African people that lived on plantations in the south for hundreds of years. Southern people there were saying things like "Ya'll ain't from around here." or "I be fixin' tah go fishin'." or "I'mma git me sum tobacky." You still hear black people say the following now, Ya'll - ain't - Imma - I be - we be- I is. It's southern talk. I'm sure in the 16th and 17th centuries, southern people were really country and this way of talking was very common. You can still hear this southern influence right down to the southern drawl in the way some black people talk today. Especially when Ebonics are spoken.
Hi, Matt. This language/dialect is properly called African American English. It was “Ebonics” in the 70s but that name fell from favor; “AAVE,” or African American Vernacular English replaced the term; it is now AAE. The accepted linguistic definition is that AAE both a language and a dialect. Many of the comments here could be answered with accurate background material. This is helpful when proposing to teach a language/accent/dialect from a culture different from one’s own. There is lots of material available to further clarify this; the name, especially, is important. I also find it valuable to talk about the genesis of the sound: what informed its creation, why it has persevered; and the importance of honoring this beautiful language/accent. Accent/dialect A French man speaks English with a French accent. An American man born and raised in Appalachia speaks English with an Appalachian dialect.
Thank you for the insights, Mary. It's good to have the current and correct term. I'll see what I can to do load up a revision for the video title and written introduction.
You got some things right and others wrong, but good try. Here are some tips from an Ebonics speaker. What's right: -Missing d's and t's on the ends of words. -Th becoming d - d+y= j - _+y= chu What's wrong: -Hard consonants turning into ar. That's one I've never heard before, though I guess it depends where someone's from. Never heard in Louisiana. So where you said "world" as "warld" would actually be more like "whirl." The only thing that happens to the word is that the d is dropped. Other tips you might find useful in the future: 1. Here's an interesting thing that happens with ebonics. Basically, what happens with d's and t's at the end of words also happen with words that end in "or." The r sound is dropped, however this time around it gets replaced with another sound. The omitted d/t becomes "oh." So: Door-> Doe Four-> Fo (like foe) More-> Mo/Moe Floor-> Flo (like flow)
#4 is spot on. #1 the s should almost replace the t, but not elongate the u unless in the south. #2 with this, the d should be just as soft as the "th" not overly pronounced. #5The way you did if first before you did what you called a general american would be correct. #3 Is about right, too harsh, but may be done so for emphasis. The basis for AAE is economy of speech. The lyric sounds more like a white southerner, could be the rhythm of the words are off, not sure. Thanks for the vid though.
Yes and I've debated whether that's the best term, anymore since Ebonics is so closely associated with dialect rather than just accent. The more common term I'm seeing when authors ask for this voice is "Urban American" but I'm wary of standing behind that one full on because then it could be confused with a variety of accents that have their origin in urban areas.
Matt Haynes they all refer to the same accent and/or dialect though! In regards to linguistics (specifically sociolinguistics) African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is used. Love your videos!
I noticed that too, but having lived in both Atlanta and Newark I can tell you there's a lot of overlap. When I first moved to Georgia, I didn't even know that some of my classmates were speaking with a southern accent, just thinking they were talking "ghetto", as I would've put it at the time. I think the biggest issue for him sounding off here -is- the dialect, because despite the clear changes in accent he still sounds like a white guy, giving it a southern feel. I think that had he used slang like he was talking about, it would've came out better; it was better not to most likely, though. Slang is super regional and it's way too easy to offend somebody, I'd be interested to hear him use it for actual dialogue just to see how it comes out.
"pinkman" is pretty rude, and also people that speak ebonics/aave DO have an accent. So many words end up getting altered pronunciations in Ebonics. Example: Floor-> Flo Door-> Doe Library-> Lieberry Ask-> Axe Earth-> Earf I don't-> I'on Etc.
Oh wow - your teacher gave you some good advice on the accent, but - when you did the song at the end - no. It just didn't translate AT ALL. You sounded more like Kevin Spacey in A Time To Kill than a black man. I think what's missing is the soul of black folks. You sounded all poetic and whimsical and sing songy and white. Black people have a little bit of cynicism in their hope. They have burdens in their voice, coded into the language. They have history. They have culture. They have weight. It's not just the words - it's everything that came before the words, too. If a black man, a street man, a hood man was saying those words - more than likely he would be tryna run some game on a woman to get them cookies, to get in them drawls. So he's tryna be smooth, but also slick, and also matter-of-fact. What you had was a southern accent - which could be a white man or a soft black man. It wasn't hood though. And it wasn't ebonics - maybe try it with some rap lyrics. But still - you ain't gotta sound country. Ebonics is not country.
