Ebonics: More Than Slang

When one thinks of the word "Ebonics," many stereotypes undoubtedly pop into their head. Images of thugs, gang-bangers and uneducated African Americans are all images associated with that word. Very few of us actually know what "Ebonics" really is or where it originated.

The word "Ebonics" is a portmanteau (2) of the words "ebony" and "phonics." Originally intended to be used by people of African ancestry, that type of speech has gone by many names, including African American Vernacular English and Black English Vernacular. It is a mixture of traditional English that has been blended with African words and styles of speech that many consider slang and can be compared to Southern American English. It is much more than that and most black Americans consider it a link to the heritage.

The word "Ebonics" was first used in 1973 by a psychologist of the name Robert Williams. He went on to write a book that further explained the form of speech as:

"...the linguistic and paralinguistic features which on a concentric continuum represent the communicative competence of the West African, Caribbean, and United States slave descendant of African origin. It includes the various idioms, patois, argots, idiolects, and social dialects of black people."(2)

In Williams' opinion, African Americans shunned away from European English in an attempt to find unity and pride despite being stolen from their homeland. Years of segregation and discrimination furthered that need to be "separate but equal." Other scholars built on his theory and would refer to it as a separate dialect of English. Martin Luther King had even battled public schools in 1979 that would not adapt to the way children spoke while teaching them to read. In 1974 a subdivision of the NCTE had published a statement in support of students using their own language.

"We affirm the students' right to their own patterns and varieties of language-the dialects of their nurture or whatever dialects in which they find their own identity and style. Language scholars long ago denied that the myth of a standard American dialect has any validity. The claim that any one dialect is unacceptable amounts to an attempt of one social group to exert its dominance over another. Such a claim leads to false advice for speakers and writers and immoral advice for humans. A nation proud of its-diverse heritage and its cultural and racial variety will preserve its heritage of dialects. We affirm strongly that teachers must have the experiences and training that will enable them to respect diversity and uphold the right of students to their own language."(3)

Ebonics did not become well known or popularized until 1996 when the Oakland School Board in California recognized it as a unique language. Much controversy arose because they considered Ebonics to be a completely separate language than English. The theory was shown to be inconsistent but the controversy still rages on today. Professor Mary Texeira attempted the same thing in 2005 in the San Bernardino City Unified School District and was met with the same reserve and criticism.

There are quite a few grammatical features unique to Ebonics. One is phonology, or the blending of letters and consonants. Another feature is aspect marking. For example, the sentence "He is working" would be pronounced "He workin'." Words used commonly in the English language are completely disregarded as unnecessary. A remote phase maker, the word "been," is also used incorrectly according to Oxford English rules, like in the sentence "She been walk long time."

Another form of grammar common to ebonics is the use of the informal word "aint." Double negatives are also very common place. Copula's are often dropped, like in the sentence "She crazy!," that is normally pronounced "She is crazy!"

Much like Southern English, British English and Cajun English(2), Ebonics (or AAVE) is just another dialect of the same language we all speak. Despite the controversy and misunderstanding, the individuality must be accepted. While "...(o)pinions on Ebonics still range from advocacy of official language status in the United States to denigration as 'poor English'"(3), it is the civil right of those that chose to use it. Even Bill Cosby, a famous and influential African American comic and actor, has spoken out against the use of Ebonics.

Overtime, hopefully, this form of language can be more widely accepted. While it is still a used mainly amongst people of African descent, African English may still have it's place on the public scale. Through education and societal evolution, the word "aint" might possibly be accptable enough for even our president to use on national television..

Works Cited:

1. http://www.cal.org/topics/dialects/aae.html

2. http://www.linguistlist.org/topics/ebonics/

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_Vernacular_English

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebonics