'Black English': How AAVE Developed From Slave Resistance & African Dialects | The Breakdown 

Thanks , Sister . As an African American, I appreciate that and I am very fascinated by y'all Continental African Sisters and Brothers too. 💯💯💯💯✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾🖤

@@joeyp.8501 thank you. We are very much fascinated by y’all too.

Lucky. I wish I was Black.

As we are by you girl!! I wish we had more knowledge of our African culture, but African American culture is my culture too!! A lot of us are torn between who we should have been and who we are.

Why are you fascinated by your own people?

So true! I've been stopped watching that bastardized station a long time ago. I can't relate to anything like I used to back in the day.

This is still PROPAGANDA, we are NOT AFRIKKNS

@@CeeCheles Back in the day it was Black owned and operated.

@General Grievous they're inaccurate, you have to do your FAMILIES HISTORY, all my ancestors were changed from INDIAN to "neggro"

specifically what 'garbage' do you mean?

they couldnt erase everything..

We are black americans. Charlize Theron is african american.

@@autobotdiva9268 Actually she is Afrikaner. Dutch Africans from South Africa.

@@mmmhmmm_7 oh dear colonizer. Thats not how that worked

we even suck our teeth like Africans lol

Oh but it is, we all the same.. we just got dropped off in different places🤷🏾‍♂️ Respectfully

We all black, we family , we were just separated from the same places . ❤️🖤💚💛🙌🏾💯🌟🌟🌟🌟

still black lol,

@@tyce7956 I know that am just saying that because even though we're all black, we have different heritage.

You still a member of the HOME 🏡 💙 😌

😂 That's how I learned JA Patois when I was in exchange.

Naturally. Just like our music, art and dress.

We are not Black, we are Brown indigenous people, black means dead...this is the reason this title was given too Brown people, been called Black's , is not recognised by white supremacy populations, as a human term. They hold know value to black, they know it means dead, as they called our people that ,hence renamed Brown people, given this terminology. Spiritual Retribution is coming as the lies told have dishonored and destroyed 😳 our cultural communities, causing damage, disturbance and unnecessary stressful consequences of confusion and psychological issues to this day...Diabolical, the colonisers, white supremacy population, didn't work alone, hence, the reason for people from their ancestral legacy, remains unresolved with their cultural identity. Truth is coming back as this is Spiritual war far now.

@@TheBlueThird my bro. I'm African, I be tryna pick up your accents. That's my dream English, but i still struggle, what can I do?.

​@@TheBlueThirdafroamerican music and latinoamerican music are so important in the history of modern american music someone could argue they had a greater impact than traditional european music like celtic music. Without the mix of different cultures, America wouldn't be the music capital of the world. Yet some idiots claim rock music as part of the white culture and use it to promote white supremacy...

That's what I'm thinking. There's a lot of bad research in these BET educational videos. What a shame cos there's some good content

I agree

Nope, taco is a Spanish word. The world for tortilla in nahuatl Is Tlaxcalli and was used for the tortilla itself and as a taco

Same bro. 😊

We do not need others approval to be who we are. ✊

I agree, BUT I wish we could still keep it in our community. Everyone is trying to use it and steal it.

I know your trying to make yourself feel better about the situation and speaking this way, but sorry to tell you it’s not a language or even a dialect. It’s just ghetto uneducated speech

@@kaydod3190 Sorry to tell you, but you sound tone deaf. Why would come into the comment section after they LITERALLY explained the origin of the AAVE dialect, AND have the audacity to call it ghetto? Well, I guess all American English is also just ghetto, uneducated speech because nothing said in the US matches the Queen's English. Also, you might want to double check the grammar in your first sentence :)

Yes, you’ll find that in nearly all languages the “th” sound doesn’t exist and so it gets replaced with the “f” or “d” or “t” sound. This is how it used to be in English as well. Just for us as a people we have a lot of language parallelism because we operate on a Niger Congo base. ❤️

Liberian English is more similar to AAVE

Th actually exists is AAVE word initially

And Jamaicans patois doesn't pronounce the 'h' sound either.

@@hasafienda in referring to words where it starts in the beginning.

True Rhonda Robinson! Christianity,Islam, and other religions were forced upon us to worship the deities of the nations. However, the very book(the Bible) that was used to oppress us, is the same book we can use to liberate ourselves and humankind. Learning and keeping the commandments of YAH(God) and embracing the inheritance of Hebrew Israelites will lead us to ultimate peace and absolute freedom from the current state of this world!

@@gregoryjosey7669 there is nothing wrong with that

Our ancestors came from multiple African countries and practiced multiple religions. Which one do we pick?

@@gregoryjosey7669 Sir, no, this Hebrew Israelite phenomenon has been a very popular attempt to cultivate a lost identity and to shore up any insecurities regarding self worth and self-esteem; nothing more than interpolation, reading into things that aren’t there. I hate to break it to you, but these are mythical stories from older civilizations mixed in with elaborate imagination, motifs and philosophies of their time. Dig into your history here in America and in Africa.

@@MSILBB whether believe that the men and women in the Bible existed or not is one thing. You have a right to your opinion because neither one of us was for the events that took place. However, what I pay a great deal of attention to are always the outcomes that resulted from those events. The unfavorable conditions that are occurring in the so called African American community seems to consistently happen to us throughout our history aligned with the Bible in prophecy. This you will find uniquely attached to Blacks no matter what time in history that you won’t find plaguing other people in the world if you diligently do the research without any preconceived notions! YAH help you in your ultimate journey for TRUTH in HIS LAWS. No Religions!

Did you mean AAVE? 🥰

AAVE

That’s something your proud of?

@@kaydod3190 Do you mean "you're?"

@@Deerych Do you mean “ghetto uneducated speech “ and not “black talk and Ebonics?”

We are NOT AFRIKKNS, we are BLK NATIVES.

@@NoName-gh5mq What is the difference?

@@NoName-gh5mq you're everywhere. Stop trolling.

@@ilovesweets9720 beat it u THIEF

@@ilovesweets9720 until u hold your sellouts RESPONSIBLE, WE WILL

Lekker

Thank you, as an black american, I am delighted by this comment. Love to you and Africa 😊

You're crazy.We wouldn't approved this such bad grammar ,unless you're that hip hop airhead meek.

Yousa trollin' ma playa. Jus mad buggin us cracks.

@@leehorst Not even close bro 😂

But it's lies

🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

@@meekyhancock5419 where is the lie?

🇯🇲👏🏾

@@babsjob8729 That white people are to blame for everything

Japanese are innovative and creative. I love them

Thanks we love u back ❤️

私たちもあなたを愛しています 🇯🇵

We love you too! ❤️

And I love Japan and Japanese folk 😊

It's recognized as a sub dialect of American English

@@christianlendo7787 a dialect of American English.

It’s not even a dialect of English (but mainstream racist linguistics have taken root and so that's what's promoted). A language is based on its structure, not its vocabulary. AAL (African American Language) has its base in Niger Congo language structure, so it’s a Bantu dialect/language. What confuses people is that it uses words from the English language. The English language uses a mixed lexicon/vocabulary, it’s the SAME THING, this is why you will see “Latin” and many other origins for the words spoken in English. What makes English English is its English syntactical structure and what makes AAL Bantu is its African/Bantu syntactical structure. I’m glad people are becoming more aware it’s good. Just so you know in linguistics there is no “proper” way to speak English, it’s spoken differently everywhere. Walk with confidence knowing your culture and history is one of beauty and richness and sophistication. ❤️

@@MSILBB why do you say it’s not a dialect? The way you described it it what a dialect is. It’s AAVE. African American Vernacular English.

@@MSILBB English like Latin is a Indo European language. English derived up to 60% of its vocabulary from Latin through the French Norman conquest of 1066.

Well ssid

Well said

Absolute Truth!!! 💯💯💯

LOUDER!!!!

Look to the scripture of Yahuah and you will find the answer for your question. Black people add flavour to everything because they are the Salt of the Earth as the true Chosen People of Yah.

Please don’t try to speak like us in AAVE since you are not black- it’s disrespectful and isn’t to be shared. Thank you black culture is not intended to be shared. Sorry

I'm Brazilian too, man. I tryna learn English through hip hop lyrics. I reckon it's gonna help me better my listening comprehention of the language in terms of the real English that people speak on the street. I ain't gonna lie to you, I've been sufferin' the hell of it to understand black Englisn in rap music. Anyway, that's it. Cheers, man!

@@pazamor9164 I’m Brazilian too! I’m from Nova Iguaçu, this is my favorite dialect and since I was very young I listen to the main Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B artists like Mario, Usher, Bow Wow. For me this accent sounds more energetic and happy, as if it were more lively than standard English.

@@ZANGIEFDAPUTARIA SMFH You people are hilarious and I am sure you intend to mean well, however you are setting yourself up for failure- Start with traditional English ie Rosetta Stone and trained language English professionals-otherwise you are going to shortchange yourself anc make the process extremely confusion. For example the African American language in honestly black folks truly understand because of its deep rooted confusing and amb igious roots. For example there are a laundry list of words that AA use use which can be the same exact word and not only mean MULTIPLE items based on the tone of your voice (which is something that is an innate AA quality and CANT BE TAUGHT) but ALSO one word the exact same word can be used as a noun verb AND an adjetive. Super confusion and NOT worth your time. Continue to enjoyr our music but as far as "studying AAVE" as a means to learn "English"- no bueno my friend. Best wishes.

meanwhile im black american and still cant speak portuguese despite 7 years of study and 1 brazilian friend. my brasileiros, why is your language so harrd to understand? i can speak it pretty well, but i cant understand colloquial speech

Your comment deserves more likes

That idea was created and perpetuated to uphold white supremacy.

It's not black English. It's African American English.

​@diopfifi4937 genuinely curious, why is it inappropriate to call it "black english"? Is it because it only has African Americans origins and no ties to black American islanders, etc?

@@diopfifi4937 most the time it's called AAVE other times BAE and you might of heard it being called ebonics before

🤢

@@ems3832 The face I make when I see you

@@bratz2369 : thats an uncultured loser you’re speaking to. They get nauseous when they want to relate, BUT CANT!! That’s why they’re always in our spaces, tryna learn from us. They envy us because the narrative they crest for us, is idealized by their children and loved ones. No one want to be them, they want to be US!

There's nothing wrong with rampant illiteracy?

Yep but even blacks in the military made a huge difference despite being downplayed.

💯💯💯 this a fact

No you people speak that way because your uneducated. English is not a complicated Language to grasp

@@kaydod3190 You're not your.

@@kaydod3190 English isn't hard to grasp. 😒

@@kaydod3190 Nothing wrong with creating a sub dialect no matter the reason. Jamaicans, Australians, Americans created their own version of English By the way it would be hard to rap rhymes in proper English

Well if you want to get technical about ...YES !

I love your pfp. 😂😭😂

😂😂😂 I hope your joking because that’s hilarious

@@kaydod3190 instead of trolling, pick up a book called “White Kids” by Bucholtz.

It's what keeps many unemployed, THAT'S for sure!

Love you Shalondra!!!

😆 good one

"Boy u ain't s#!+", is an endearment to my 29 y/o son lol. Anytime he pretends to agree just to get me to move the conversation. We really do say the opposite of what we mean. That was pure survival.

How would a southern white person say it?🤔

Thank you for suggesting the book by Holloway.

Thanks for that resource. 👍🏿

Have you read his other book “Africanisms in American Culture?” That’s a great book too. Also Dr. Ernie Smith, mostly vids on RU-vid, but he has some referenced material in “Ebonics, the Urban Debate.”

@@MSILBB Yes I have and yes Dr.Smith did some excellent work

@M Yes I love Dr. Ernie Smith. You can speak any language when you know how to use IPA 😂. Additionally a language is determined by its grammatical structure not its vocabulary. Gullah blacks have kept a lot of words of African origin, that’s because they were in isolation a lot and didn’t have to deal with “massa” lording over them like that to use their words 😂

She got why peepo to please

We were everywhere first too

@@thecharm5868 yes but that does not mean you descend from those AFRICAN populations😂.

@@MSILBB yeah thousands apon thousands of years ago

@@thecharm5868 everywhere? You find bones of white peopIe everywhwre , not from blackS lol

@@peche184 where they at? Most European skulls are in Asia to be exact

God bless MOTHER EARTH period!

@@Xchromosomerules Shut your mouth.

@Rock Hard Ride Free Strive to make sense next time you open your mouth.

@@Xchromosomerules and MOTHER AFRICA is that point on Earth from which we all originated

This have absolutely no connection with africa. African American English came from Britain not africa. English didn't exist in africa when African Americans left africa. No African speak like that neither.

They try but tend to fail...

Including Africans and African immigrant Americans like the host I see🙄

I am Europian and im actually fascinated at how African-americans have influenced the whole world, starting from language, MUSIC, CLOTHES. It is undeniable. If you know, you know ;)

@@hello_04 didn’t you heard... AAVE also got words from Africa. So why annoyed about it?🤔 between Jamaican and many African countries (that speak English more), their English is really similar to AAVE. Like if you hear a Nigerian or Ghanaian speaking English, it’s kind of similar. But two different accents obviously.

@@raheli7155 But that isn’t cultural appropriation because we are of African descent. It’s different when they use our language because they aren’t from our specific lineage.

🇿🇦🇿🇦😂😂😂 mkhaya

@@thinadlamini4671 Hello Mkhaya wam. 😅

They left out the real language but youd have to come from slavery to speak it. This is aave but not original. Lekker

Weird cause why would you be laughing

@@virtuousAssassain He finds this entertaining in a good way, he's happy about it

Hood talk for dummy's . . .

@@willcamick Yep 👍🏾

@@TheReCar1 yeah European talk for dummies also say Indo European language for dummies if you trying to say n*****

Fr 🤣 that's a good book title 👌🏾💯

@@queenbbeaute2654 🤣🤣🤣 I would definitely read it

Try using your ebonics at a job interview and see how far it gets you, flo.

Is that something you can be a fan of? Lol

@@chaosswa-ee-ty5911 well I like the accents.

True story. It's a soulful thing

Lucky bastard :(

VERY WELL PUT 🤗🥰😘

Exactly. We can tell the real no matter what skin tone. KAMELLA HARRIS.....🤦

Being black american is a culture. Thags the word you're looking for. We have a culture. At least the beginnings of one.

Why would they?

🏍️ Why should they ? Just learn English.

Much love. It’s way more interesting than speaking like a robot from the Hamptons lol

@@mikethebike2456 Whose English? Mark Twain's and William Faulkner's and William Shakespear's and Maya Angelou's English are ALL DIFFERENT FORMS OF ENGLISH

@@kellieellerbusch6675 🏍️ Then go ahead and use Twain's English at your next job interview. Say 'ere, anon, betwixt,axe'. If you're not at a Renaissance Fair, it might not be received well. 🎪

you are aware the first slave traders were black.. just saying

@@britnic5394 You aware you are mistaken and that the the word slave

@@Rio-uv1gstype in who were the first slave traders...

@@britnic5394 Chattel slavery was Arabs an Europeans...African slavery was different...no comparison

@@Rio-uv1gs the first traders were from north africa, if you steal a pound or twenty pounds its still stealing...

Agreed. Even White Cali surfers sub-culture folks code-switch. They know when to speak in Surf slang or proper English in a formal environment.

Really? Do you say this about Asians, Black immigrants, Hispanics, White immigrants etc who are ESL? I doubt it. Code-switching is for unsafe environments and until we can come out of it, it’s important to teach imo. In a Black environment it’d be just fine. Having your own economic base would remedy the need to code switch. It’s a survival mechanism. Just as a side note, speaking your native language does not equate to “no home training” or “bad enunciation” or “less education.” I feel a lot of times these things are conflated. Plenty of us with degrees and no degrees, low, mid and high income, speak our native language. It crosses class and educational attainment. We also have to have compassion for each other. We’ve been through and go through a lot and so the damage is deep. Nonetheless, the language deals with an African structure not vocabulary, although some vocabulary that seems “American” but isn’t “European” is of African origin. It’s not a defect. It’s a different language. I feel it should be kept amongst us however for a number of reasons, but that’s hard to do these days I suppose. Everyone loves stealing from us.

@@christianlendo7787 Ebonics isn’t slang. That’s very different. Ebonics contains slang, but it’s not slang. There is no “proper” way to speak English. It’s spoken differently everywhere. What you have is an ideal that is used as an oppressive tactic.

I agree

@@MSILBB thank you so much queen .. nobody says code switching to any other race but us it sucks

We don’t care bleach demon

Aw thanks! 🙂

That’s not true. What part of the south you’re from? What “people” are you referencing? I live in the south east where AAVE was mostly developed. Here, in SC near the coast, we speak Gullah. We learn it our school system which also includes the universities nearby. I took “Ebonics” in college at an HBCU in SC. It’s celebrated here. As a matter of fact, Gullah is the only official creole language of the United States, and people speak it fluently in these parts (look it up). So, please don’t put all of the south in the same box. Personal experiences are often times anecdotal.

I be at work talking the same way 😭 they not finna correct nobody else accent so leave me and mine alone 🤗

Speaking normally and intelligently "exhausts" you??! Wow....SMH. Step your game up, hexxi.

​@@ems3832 where do you think "step your game " comes from? Also there are many different versions of english so why are you upset about this one? Because you definitely don't speak Old english 😂.

Yes sis!🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 our heritage is so rich!

FBA I love my lineage, culture and heritage !

Our culture is rich. We should all embrace who we are

IF THIS IS SPOKEN "SOUL", WHY DIDNT JESUS TALK LIKE THAT? LETS WAKE UP AND STOP BELIEVING THESE LIES!

@@jabbarinnewyork7778 Jesus wasn't white airhead, he's Arab weather you like it or not :)

For Real!

@@jabbarinnewyork7778 wtf jesus got to do with it..lol..and Imma soft atheist..sooo

Me too

We?

@@ellisewalton8701 he’s from ny. A lot of them are mixed or Caribbean and the Spanish people talk like us mostly out there

@@rocsteadyh.o.g4247 I don’t care. If you’re not Black American you’re not one of us. Period.

@@ellisewalton8701 I understand trust me

@@ellisewalton8701 You can't blame him if he grew up around it, he'll naturally learn it

Im from NY but now im in MS. What area of MS you from

No it's more of living with your mate unmarried... you're not shacking up with a guy who is your friend .. if you're a guy..

@@mahasa7666 yea it is more so living together unmarried

Sounds almost identical to liberian English

We are not AFRIKKN, we are BLK NATIVES

@Lemon Ice I have NONE in my DNA, not 1, I've checked my GENEAOLOGY

@@NoName-gh5mq then who is your ancestors, red Indian? ?

@@NoName-gh5mq Then who is your first ancestor then?

@M Right we use “dem finna na ya a lot “as well

@M all of those are found in African languages, amazing..

Instead of saying kids. We say, chirren

@@Purplecolors88 We say that too. 😄

The evolution of the "language" seems to be the shortest or laziest form of the sentence.

There is no such thing as 'African American English'. There is English. And there are mistakes.

​@tecumseh4095 no actual linguistic believes this. In the history of speech, there has always been dialectic drift.

Too funny. Hating on their own too lol.

Nobody cares build the wall

What who can’t understand us

​@@marcuscole1994trust me, as an italian who is pretty fluent in english (I spent a year in Ireland), understanding standard american english is pretty easy, understanding british english is quite difficoult but understanding AAVE is straight up impossible. Italian is a language where you strongly pronunce basically every letter so standard american english is simple to understand. British english would be hell considering this parameter, but we are taught about british english pronounciation and language from primary school so we can manage to understand it. But AAVE is another story. It's a completely different way of interpreting the english language, with a strong different accent, a quite different vocabulary and grammar. I can imagine it's not difficoult for a natural english speaker to still understand it like a standard spanish speaker can mostly understand Catalan, but for a person whose first language wasn't english it's not as simple. English is a weird language where there litteraly is no rule on how to pronounce words and you just have to memorise them all. Imagine now that another language similar to english like AAVE changes the way you pronounce things...

We don't need to learn to "understand African Americans," damarys. THEY need to step up THEIR game.....

What? They are teaching this in College now? What is this world coming to?

@@kaydod3190 AAV is a language just like the rest 🤷🏾‍♀️

@@QS0924 Ignore him. Jamaican Patois & AAVE have alot or similarities.

@@QS0924 what AAVE mean, please ?

@@GAZAMAN93X right!

Exactly!!!

I was thinking the same thing. Patois has the same mix up.

I guess some people will do anything for a dime.

Rich? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 What, of value, has it produced?

I was today years old when I found out I didn't even need to pass English class.

Not sure where I mentioned this. Is that what you comprehended?

Actually they have a lot to do with each other. Secondly, you’ll find commonality and similarity between patois, Geechee etc because it all functions on the same language structure (Niger Congo) and uses English words. I think understanding the topic more will help you understand where he’s coming from. Spoken Soul Africanisms in American Culture Dr. Ernie Smith (YT mostly).

Similarity is the operative word. My point is AAVE is NOT a universal diaspora language. That would be dismissive towards other African diaspora languages. For the record I Overstand the topic.

​@@C-Ann Correct and it's one of the words I chose to use so I'm aware of my intent lol. I also mentioned commonality, another word of importance. Part of the issue is how we perceive information and its intent. That colors everything. The other issue is how aware we are of our understanding of a topic and how that understanding is then filtered through our perceptions. I understood your point, however, the intent of the video isn't what you're suggesting (stripping or watering down AAL). Side note: I use AAL as opposed to AAVE because the language isn't English based, but African based. Perhaps to some degree this fact is the real point of contention and we can sorta tease out the real issue. I know exactly where this comes from. I get it, you want to protect/guard because much has been taken, not respected and not properly credited by many, including other Blacks. I get it and it's ok to place boundaries with others. However, I do not see this energy in this video. I do see excitement. Klarity was born in America. I do not know his full parentage, but what I will say is that when you're around particular cultures that are dominant, you naturally take on that culture, just natural. The video's intent is to convey/shed light on its history/interconnectedness and attempt to dispel certain things surrounding its usage, that's why I mentioned about understanding the topic; it could facilitate in understanding where he was coming from, but that may not be as helpful as I'd like if you feel that isn't the case. Regardless, in terms of Universalism, well again that really depends on what you're looking at. If you're looking at it from a general sense in terms of popularity then AAL is a very popular African diasporan language; it's already universal in that sense, so in the technical sense, yes it is a universal diaspora language. If, however you're looking at it from a negative sense in that it's being "forced" or "taken" or "watered down" or "stripped" then in that sense, it's all in perception and to which I disagree as it relates to this video. It's just something exciting for people to see a connection that has never been shown to them, both for the viewers and those providing the information as much of this has been intentionally sequestered from the public. However as stated earlier you will find shared features/common core amongst all of us, all groups of African origin contribute to various African diasporan languages and dialects, including those of the transatlantic holocaust. Right now, AAL is being looked at because it's quite prevalent; this doesn't take away from other African based languages or dialects nor suggest an attempt to remove AAL from African Americans. That being said, my point was to showcase the common thread, like the video. It's a Bantu-derived dialect created in America, as it functions on an African grammatical structure with much African character. This does not water anything down nor suggest universality perceived in the negative sense, but does and can show layered connections across the diaspora via language. Acknowledging this is not dismissive to other African diaspora languages or dialects. It's simply stating truth. Much love and I do hope this division can be healed between us as ADOS/FBA/Pan-Africanist and other Blacks; they not mutually exclusive ADOS lol. Mutual respect, love and recognition while sharing and embracing all of our creations, shared commonalities and differences. But don't be afraid to call each other out either. It's needed at times. I've had to do it a few times with some of my Jamaican brothers and sisters lol, US in America too. We have to hold each other accountable but with love. We all we got as a people/those of African descent. Take care sis.

Why not just respect the national language.

🙂

Nice joke