Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Thanks, AAVE!

The following are (or some of us think they are) words and phrases original to African American Vernacular English that have become a part of our lexicon.

I. These are words and phrases that I use myself.
chill’n. (Bryson Vann)
cool. (Amy Davis, Daphine Peck, Caitlyn Stephens, Russell Wimberly) I believe everyone my age has used the word "cool" since elementary school. (Brock Parsons)
dude. (Amy Davis, Caitlyn Stephens, Daphine, Russell) Like everyone else I use variations of "hey, man" or "hey, dude" (Brock Parsons).
I'm down. I don't know if this is AAVE or not, but I often use the phrase "I'm down," which means Okay, I'll go along with it. (Jaclyn Duvall)
janky. I think that is an older word and I may be the only one that still uses it. (Merry Monroe)
man. (Daphine, Sherry, Merry, Brock, Caitlyn, Russell)
my bad. (Caitlyn Stephens)
peace out. A neutral goodbye. (Bryson Vann)
punk. (Caitlyn Stephens)
talkin' trash. I'm not sure if it is AAVE. I have several AA friends who use it. (Daphine Peck)
that's ghetto. (Caitlyn Stephens)
wassup. I have used "wassup" on various occasions. (Amy Davis)
yeh. Sounds more like "yea-uh," occasionally follows "hellz" for intensity. (Bryson Vann)
yo mama! Used as an insult or when joking. (Caitlyn Stephens)

II. These are words and phrases that I hear others use, but don't use myself.
aight. I heard the word aight shortnend for all right. (Justin)
boo. (Caitlyn Stephens)
cool. (Sherry, Merry)
cuzzed. Not sober. Ex: "They were getting all 'cuzzed' up after prom." (Bryson)
dissin'. My kid used a word that I hadn't heard in some time - "dissin'". i.e. Jason was dissin' DJ. (Daphine)
dog. (Caitlyn Stephens)
dude. (Merry)
gangsta. (Caitlyn Stephens)
hellz yeah. (Brock Parsons)
ill. Cool. Ex: That d.j. was busting some 'ill' rhymes. (Bryson)
mad. (Brock Parsons)
man. (Sherry)
my bad. (Sherry, Merry, Russell Wimberly)
oh, snap. (Brock Parsons)
phat. adj. describing something appealing. Acronym for Pretty Hot And Tempting. (Ben Nicolls)
player. (Caitlyn Stephens)
scrub. (Jaclyn Duvall)
sup? This being short for whats up. (Justin McDaniel)
trif'lin'. (Jaclyn Duvall)
tripp’n’. To freak out. (Bryson Vann)
whassup? (Daphine)
what it do? (Caitlyn Stephens)
what up? (Jaclyn Duvall)
what’s good with it? A curious customer asking this wanted to know how good the barbecue was from the store I worked at :). (Bryson Vann)
where do you stay? I have many AA friends and there is a phrase that they use that is different from what I have heard anyone else say. When asking about my place of residence instead of asking where do you live, they asked, 'where do you stay'? (Merry Monroe)
word. (Daphine)
what's happenin? (Caitlyn Stephens)
whatsup. (Russell Wimberly)

18 comments:

  1. (I) I use the following words : "man", "dude", and "cool."
    (II)I have heard "whassup","dude", and "word."

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  2. (I) word I use: "man"
    (II) words I hear others use: "dude" "cool" "man" "my bad"

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  3. (I) I use "man" and "cool". I also use the word "janky". I think that is an older word and I may be the only one that still uses it.

    (II) I have heard "dude", "cool", "man" and "my bad". I am not sure where this fits, but I have many AA friends and there is a phrase that they use that is different from what I have heard anyone else say. When asking about my place of residence instead of asking where do you live, they asked, "where do you stay"?

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  4. As for the lists above, I always thought 'dude' (which I have used) started as a surfer thing not AAVE. But who am I to judge? on any of this.

    I live in a primarily white community, I listen to country music and rarely watch TV. And the friends I do have that are of African American decent speak like every one else in Ada. So I am rarely exposed to AAVE, so when a new word does pop up, how would I know its origins.

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  5. I use: “Yeh” (sounds more like ‘yea-uh’, occasionally follows ‘hellz’ for intensity), “Chill’n”, and “Peace Out” (a neutral goodbye)
    I’ve heard: “What’s good with it?” (A curious customer asking this wanted to know how good the barbecue was from the store I worked at :) and “Tripp’n’” (to freak out)

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  6. (I) Like everyone else I use variations of "hey, man" or "hey, dude" and I believe everyone my age has used the word "cool" since elementary school.

    (II) Most often I hear "oh snap," "hellz yeah," and also "Mad" (as heard in the video we watched)

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  7. 1. I don't know if this is AAVE or not, but I often use the phrase "I'm down," which means Okay, I'll go along with it.

    2. As for words, since I am female and listen to a good variety of Rap, R & B, and Hip Hop, here are a few words I hear. "Trif'lin." "Scrub." "What up?"

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  8. 1.words and phrases I use are
    "dude", "Thats ghetto.", "cool", "man","My bad.", "punk"

    2.words and phrases I hear are
    "What it do?", Whats Happenin?"
    "player", "dog", "gangsta", "boo"

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  9. I have used the words man, dude, and cool.
    A

    I have heard others use the phrases whatsup and my bad.
    B

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  10. The one that comes to my mind is Sup. This being short for whats up.

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  11. The phrase "Talkin trash" is one that I use. I'm not sure if it is AAVE. I have several AA friends who use it.

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  12. B.) Phat - adj. describing something appealing. Acronym for Pretty Hot And Tempting.

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  13. I have used "dude", "cool", and even "wassup" on various occasions.

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  14. I heard the word aight shortnend for all right

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  15. (II)My kid used a word that I hadn't heard in some time - "dissin'". i.e. Jason was dissin' DJ.

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  16. "ill"(cool)ex:That d.j. was busting some 'ill' rhymes.(II) "cuzzed"(not sober)ex:They were getting all 'cuzzed' up after prom.(II)

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  17. "yo Mama!" used as an insult or when joking.(I)

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  18. If anyone else has ever watched the Chapelle Show, then you should know what I'm talking about when I use the terms "loosey." - An extra cigarette. Or, "badunckadunk." - A word to describe the extra baggage in the female buttocks.

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