African-American English

This book was the first to provide a comprehensive survey of linguistic research into African-American English and is widely recognised as a classic in the field. It covers both the main linguistic features, in particular the grammar, phonology, and lexicon as well as the sociological, political and educational issues connected with African-American English.

The editors have played key roles in the development of African-American English and Black Linguistics as overlapping academic fields of study. Along with other leading figures, notably Geneva Smitherman, William Labov and Walt Wolfram, they provide an authoritative diverse guide to these vitally important subject areas. Drawing on key moments of cultural significance from the Ebonics controversy to the rap of Ice-T, the contributors cover the state of the art in scholarship on African-American English, and actively dispel misconceptions, address new questions and explore new approaches. This classic edition has a new foreword by Sonja Lanehart, setting the book in context and celebrating its influence.

This is an essential text for courses on African-American English, key reading for Varieties of English and World Englishes modules and an important reference for students of linguistics, black studies and anthropology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

List of figures and tables

List of contributors

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

PART I: Structure

1 The sentence in African-American vernacular English

2 Aspect and predicate phrases in African-American vernacular English

3 The structure of the noun phrase in African-American vernacular English

PART II: History

4 Some aspects of African-American vernacular English phonology

5 Co-existent systems in African-American vernacular English

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

8 African-American language use: Ideology and so-called obscenity

9 More than a mood or an attitude: Discourse and verbal genres in African-American culture

10 Linguistics, education, and the law: Educational reform for African-American language minority students