Tag Archives: African American Vernacular English (AAVE)

Belated Thoughts on Obama’s Accent

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Ben

This post is four years late. I admit it. The president’s accent has already been scrutinized ad nauseum, and there have been political controversies about this very topic. But after watching a speech by Obama this morning, and finding his … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

R-lessness in the American South: RIP?

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Ben

Whatever happened to non-rhotic Southern accents? For those of you joining us from the everyday world (one where “non-rhotic” isn’t a household word) a non-rhotic accent is one where the “r” is dropped at the end of words or syllables. … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , , | 50 Comments

“Dude:” Thoughts on an American Word

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Ben

I am skeptical about claims that American English is “colonizing” the other Englishes. But I will concede one point: the word dude is entirely our doing. Dude, in America, is a word that lies somewhere between British mate and bloke. … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , | 32 Comments

The Ebonics Factor: A Quick Addendum

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Ben

In the previous post, I mentioned the divide between the accents of Detroit and neighboring Windsor, Ontario.  There is a complicating factor, however, that I neglected to mention:  African American Vernacular English (AAVE, or crudely, “Ebonics“).* AAVE, for those who don’t … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , | 5 Comments