[SR28436]

AAVE is actually a very interesting subject, Amanda. I thought it sounded like a fancy but empty term until I began studying linguistics. It does exist…if you travelled to certain places in Louisiana, you could hear some Gullah-laden English at its most extreme, though it is dying out (to the dismay of some African Americans and linguists). It may sound ‘uneducated’ to our anglicized ears, but it’s just a variation on English. I suggest you read some David Dalby, writer of ‘The African Element in American English.’ Dalby’s a reader in West African languages at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and chairman of the Centre of African Studies in London. This article includes a tentative list of Africanisms in American English, including the words/phrases, bad-mouth; bug; cool; dig [meaning ‘to understand’]; gam; guy; hip; jazz; okay; tote.

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Name : SR28436, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 21, City : Austin, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : student, 

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