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African American Vernacular English
Linguistics
English 1125
Daniel Kies
Some Notes on the Linguistic Features of AAVE
(African American Vernacular English)
PHONOLOGY
1.
Word-final consonant cluster deletion/reduction:
/C2-3#/ --> /C1-2#/
Some examples,
Phonetic
cluster
[st]
[sp]
[sk]
[st]
[zd]
[zd]
[ft]
[vd]
[nd]
[md]
[ld]
[pt]
[kt]
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
[s]
[s]
[s]
[s]
[z]
[z]
[f]
[v]
[n]
[m]
[l]
[p]
[k]
Type I
(phonology)
test, list, post
wasp, clasp, grasp
desk, risk, mask
left, craft, cleft
mind, find, mound
cold, wild, old
apt, adept, inept
act, contact, expect
Type II
(inflectional morphology)
missed, messed, dressed
finished, latched, cashed
raised, composed, amazed
judged, charged, forged
laughed, stuffed, roughed
loved, lived, moved
rained, fanned, canned
named, foamed, rammed
called, smelled. killed
mapped, stopped, clapped
looked, cooked, cracked
Note also the effect that word-final consonant cluster deletion
will have on grammar -- many past tense inflections will be
deleted because of this phonological difference between the
dialects. See the words under Type II above.
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
Note that this applies as well to word-final consonant clusters
with three segments, cents --> cent. Note also that other
consonant clusters do not appear on the list: for example [mp]
lump, ramp; [nt] count, don't; [lt] colt, belt. Word-final
consonant cluster deletion operates only when both consonants
are identical in voice. The clusters [mp], [nt], and [lt] have
one voiced and one voiceless consonant; therefore, they do not
delete.
African American Vernacular English
2.
Plural formation:
Note another grammatical difference between the dialects due to a
phonological change. Because of word-final consonant cluster
deletion and because no English dialect allows for geminate
consonants or vowels (two identical consonant or vowel segments in
sequence), words like desk, ghost, wasp, and test make plurals by
adding [Is] instead of [s]: desses, ghosses, wasses, and tesses.
3.
The th-Sounds, theta /T/ and eth /D/:
3.1
Word-initial consonant alternations
/T/ --> /t/
thought, think, thin
/D/ --> /d/
this, that, the
/Tr/ --> /fr/
three --> free,
3.2
throat --> froat
Word-medial consonant alternations
/θ/ --> /f/
nothing
either
-->
-->
nuf'n,
eefuh
/D/ --> /v/
brother
-->
bruvah,
/TN/ --> /tN/
arithmetic --> 'ritmatic,
3.3
author
-->
rather
ahfuh,
-->
nothing -->
ravah
nut'n
Word-final consonant alternations
/T/
--> /f/
Ruth
--> Ruf, tooth
--> toof,south --> souf
/D/
--> /v/
width --> wiv',
breathe --> breav
/NT/ --> /Nt/
month --> mont',
tenth
--> tent'
/NT/ --> /N/
month --> mon',
tenth
--> ten'
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
African American Vernacular English
4.
/r/ and /l/ sounds:
Word-initially, /r/ and /l/ are always pronounced.
positions, /r/ and /l/ often reduce to /{/, schwa.
4.1
Post-vocalic schwa
/r/ or /l/ --> /{/
4.2
nickel --> nickuh,
sister --> sistuh
Post-vocalic deletion of /r/
/r/ --> 
4.3
In other
door --> do'
Intervocalic deletion
/r/ or /l/ --> 
story --> sto'y,
Carol --> Ca'ol
Note that the loss of /r/ and /l/ sounds will have a profound
effect on grammar in AAVE because of the "loss" of inflections.
They and their will sound identical, and the contractions of will
can no longer appear in the verb phrase. For example, because of
/r/ and /l/ reduction or deletion the following sentences seem
ungrammatical, but if we understand the phonology of AAVE, we
understand that they are really perfectly grammatical:
(a)
Dan borrowed the' book'. [dæn barod de bUk]
(Dan borrowed their books.)
(b)
Dan be they tomorrow. [dæn be de t@maro]
(Dan'll be there tomorrow.)
(c)
Tim work den too. [tIm wUrk dEn tu]
(Tim'll work then too.)
The reduction of Dan'll and Tim'll will also occur because of
consonant cluster deletion.
/Cr/ --> /C/
protect --> p'otect,
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
Word-initial consonant cluster deletion with /r/
African American Vernacular English
5.
Word-final /b/, /d/, and /g/:
5.1 Devoicing word-final stops (devoicing is generally true for
all word-final consonants in AAVE)
C
[+plosive]
[+voice ]
-->
mud
good
-->
-->
C
[+plosive]
[-voice ]
mut,
goot
Note again the grammatical consequences of this phonological
change: past tense endings [d] will be pronounced as [t],
played --> playt.
5.2
/d/ Deletion word-finally
/d/ --> 
played --> play
Some speakers don't just devoice /d/; for them it is completely
deleted (devoiced to the point of being inaudible). Note here
too the grammatical consequences, Yesterday, he play it becomes
a perfectly grammatical sentence.
6.
Nasalization:
6.1
Nasal consonant alternation
/4/ --> /n/
6.2
singing --> singin'
Nasalized vowels
/VN/ --> /V~/
ru',
man --> ma' [mæ~]
Vowel Glide Deletion:
Semivowel deletion (Monothongization)
/Vy/ --> /V/
for example,
boy
toy
time
kite
-->
-->
-->
-->
bo',
to',
tahm,
kaht
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
7.
run -->
African American Vernacular English
8.
Indefinite Articles a and an:
Because of nasalization (6 above), a is used extensively in AAVE
where other dialects use an, for example I had a apple. In some
cases, the indefinite article may "merge" completely with the
following word, for example He has eraser.
9.
Stress:
Stress patterns are largely the same as other dialects with some
notable exceptions. Some words stress the first syllable in AAVE
whereas other dialects stress the second syllable: police, July,
hotel. Deletion of unstressed syllables is common in all dialects
of English but more frequent in AAVE: 'rithmetic, 'bout, 'cept,
'member.
10.
Metathesis:
Reversal of sound segments (most often consonant clusters)
/sk/ --> /ks/
/pri/ --> /pr/
ask
prescription
-->
-->
[@ks] "axe"
"perscription"
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
African American Vernacular English
GRAMMAR
11.
Irregular verbs:
Because of /d/ Deletion (5 above), many more verbs in AAVE behave
like the irregular verbs hit and put in most dialects.
Notice that hit and put are irregular verbs in that they do not
change form when used in either present or past tense, they put up
jam every day and they put up jam yesterday. Similarly, say in
AAVE has become the same kind of irregular verb, He say that every
day and He say that yesterday. Again, this is because of /d/
Deletion.
12.
Past participles:
have + past participle --> have + past tense form
He's seen it before --> He's saw it before.
I could've written that --> I could've wrote that.
13.
Completive aspect with done:
 --> done
I [] walked -->
I done walked.
Most dialects of English need an adverb or an entire adverbial
phrase to express this meaning. AAVE has a grammatical morpheme
done to capture this aspect of the verb.
Ain't:
Although found in many dialects, ain't is a high frequency
lexical item expressing negation in AAVE.
Linguistics
Daniel Kies
14.
African American Vernacular English
15.
Question Formation
15.1
Word order inversion
AAVE uses word order inversion in both direct and indirect
questions:
Direct question
Where did he go?
15.2
Indirect question
I want to know where he went.
I want to know where did he go.( AAVE)
Optional question auxiliaries
AAVE speakers use auxiliaries in questions optionally and omit
them more frequently than many other dialects:
Where have you been? (all dialects)
Where you been? (AAVE primarily)
You understand? (many dialects)
16.
Existential it:
Existential there --> existential it
Many AAVE speakers prefer it (rather than there) as an
existential/"dummy" subject:
It is a boy in my room named Robert.
Is it a main street in this town?
17.
Invariant/habitual be:
John always works on Saturday --> John be workin' Saturday.
Linguistics
Daniel Kies