Ebonics….new English or a New Language?
A journey into the realms of the English language.. the growth and assimilation of vocabulary and grammar from various sources..
Traversing the internet is like taking a walk in the woods. You don’t know where you will end up or what gems you will gather. It is an interesting journey nevertheless. I came across this term “ebonics” in one of those journeys. Although I do not remember “how” I stumbled on it, but the first glimpse was very interesting.
Simply put, ebonics is the kind of language that black people use in the United States. The words Yo meaning Hello or Peeps meaning People are a part of ebonics. It is how we see African Americans people mouthing words in a Hollywood flick. Oh by the way, the word flick is derived from ebonics. It is the synonym for movies.
This is what the urban dictionary says about ebonics. “It is a poor excuse for a failure to grasp the basics of English”. Another definition says “Ebonics is really the study of the rules applied to turn English into some uneducated sounding pseudo-language whose purpose is for the most part to insult and denigrate Whitey”. These the definitions put up by users looked a little racist to me.
Now let me clarify that urban dictionary is a website like Wikipedia. People can add and edit slangs and terms on this website. It is a good way to keep abreast of the latest developments in the English language. However, the definitions put up by users were clearly racist.
I for one find this language real fun.
Here are a few examples for ebonics
Ebonics: “Yo G, you frontin me?”
English: “Excuse me, my peer; are you attempting to influence me to engage in a violent action with you?”
For more racist comments on negroes by dissident Caucasians, see here.
http://www.resist.com/ebonicsguide.htm
However, it is quite informative about the meanings for ebonic terms except the derogatory part of course.
Tip: Take a look around the website to see just how much hate can prevail.
My interpretation is that it is a form of English developed by the African Americans who worked as slaves. These slaves were not educated and did not have a formal education in English. Hence they created their own version of the English language.
The word Ebonics can be broken up as follows:
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Post CommentShraddha
On May 20, 2010 at 1:42 am
Hey! Neat article… I had briefly read abt ebonics sometime back, but now, after reading you, i am considering spending some good time researching ebonics…
It sure is amusing to know how one language can be modulated into a completely new language by a set of speakers…
Keep writing dude…
Preeti
On May 20, 2010 at 7:56 am
Great article, Sunil…well researched and well written ! I had always heard the African-Americans talk in a ‘different’ English and it was years later that I heard the term ‘Ebonics’. Though the term isn’t much popular even today, the language surely has become quite popular (to the extend that we, Indians use ‘flick’ for a ‘movie’, as you very rightly said…).
Good piece of writing!
Mili
On May 20, 2010 at 9:51 am
Very well written and put together for a better understanding. I have read some articles on this ‘different’ English. This article is really enlightened my reading and understanding about African American English. . .
Nash
On May 20, 2010 at 2:43 pm
A fantastic piece of work. Well written and very informative. As I had correctly pointed out earlier, that your writing can engulf readers. I have come quite a few English dialects but was not aware of it’s Proper name. And now I know that Ebonics is one of them…. So don’t give on your writing…..Keep it up!
Nicole B.
On September 1, 2011 at 8:13 pm
All races use and create “slang” terms in the United States. I find it quite ignorant to even use the term “ebonics.” There are differerent dialects and slang terms used all over the U.S., by all ethnicities. Language and speech are ever changing evolving arts. We have the basic fundamentals of English, but humans being the creative beings that we are…constantly create new ways to use what we already have.
Although some people are never really taught or learn proper English… By popularizing “Ebonics”, the puppet masters are only perpetuating ignorance. Everyone ought to know proper English, and if one choses to use slang..that is their own decision.
In order to get anywhere in life…one must know how to speak, understand and adapt to English in it’s many forms….