Word from the hood: The lexicon of African-American vernacular English

Abstract

The African-American vernacular English (AAVE) lexicon reflects the dynamic, colorful span of language used by African Americans from all walks of life. Down through the years, and especially in the decades since the Civil War, generations of African Americans have asked themselves the question posed by Harlem Renaissance writer Countee Cullen. The uniqueness of AAVE is evident in three areas: patterns of grammar and pronunciation; verbal rituals from the oral tradition and the continued importance of the word as in African cultures; and the lexicon, developed by giving special meanings to English words, a practice that goes back to enslavement and to the need for a system of communication that only those in the slave community could understand. The Traditional Black Church has been the single most significant force in nurturing the surviving African linguistic and cultural traditions of African America. Some African Americans see crossover as positive, because it may reduce racial tension.