#Oxford Dictionary of African American English

[lingthusiasm]

Bonus 80: Postcards from linguistics summer camp

What if there was a summer camp for linguists? Like, imagine you could just go somewhere for a few weeks or a month and do linguistics classes and go to linguistics talks and eat your meals with linguists all day every day? Well, this event exists, sort of, and they're called linguistics institutes. 

In this bonus episode, Gretchen and Lauren get enthusiastic about Gretchen's visit to the 2023 LSA institute at University of Massachusetts Amherst this summer. We talk about cool projects that Gretchen learned about at this year's Lingstitute, including the Linguistic Atlas Project, the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, and the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (talks about all of these projects are now available online). We also talk about the history of LSA summer institutes (the first one was in 1928, almost a hundred years ago!), why they're not to be confused with the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), which is a missionary project for Bible translation (awkward), and both Gretchen's history attending various institutes and Lauren's history not attending them (sorry about the FOMO though).

Listen to this episode about linguistics summer camp and get access to many more bonus episodes by supporting Lingthusiasm on Patreon.

[reasoningdaily]

Even the most nonsensical idioms in the English language originated somewhere. Some terms, like silver lining and tomfoolery, have innocuous roots, while other sayings date back to the darkest chapters in U.S. history. While these common phrases are rarely used in their original contexts today, knowing their racist origins casts them in a different light.

1. Tipping Point

This common phrase describes the critical point when a change that had been a possibility becomes inevitable. When it was popularized, according to Merriam-Webster, it was applied to one phenomenon in particular: white flight. In the 1950s, as white people abandoned urban areas for the suburbs in huge numbers, journalists began using the phrase tipping point in relation to the percentage of non-white neighbors it took to trigger this reaction in white city residents. Tipping point wasn’t coined in the 1950s (it first appeared in print in the 19th century), but it did enter everyday speech during the decade thanks to this topic.

2. Long Time, No See

The saying long time, no see can be traced back to the 19th century. In a Boston Sunday Globe article from 1894, the words are applied to a Native American speaker. The broken English phrase was also used to evoke white people’s stereotypical ideas of Native American speech in William F. Drannan’s 1899 book Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West.

It’s unlikely actual Native Americans were saying long time, no see during this era. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this type of isolating construction would have been unusual for the indigenous languages of North America. Rather, it originated as a way for white writers to mock Native American speech, and that of non-native English speakers from other places like China. By the 1920s, it had become an ordinary part of the American vernacular.

3. Mumbo Jumbo

Before it was synonymous with jargon or other confusing language, the phrase mumbo jumbo originated with religious ceremonies in West Africa. In the Mandinka language, the word Maamajomboo described a masked dancer who participated in ceremonies. Former Royal African Company clerk Francis Moore transcribed the name as mumbo jumbo in his 1738 book Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa. In the early 1800s, English speakers started to divorce the phrase from its African origins and apply it to anything that confused them.

4. Sold Down the River

Before the phrase sold down the river meant betrayal, it originated as a literal slave-trading practice. Enslaved people from more northerly regions were sold to cotton plantations in the Deep South via the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. For enslaved people, the threat of being “sold down the river” implied separation from family and a guaranteed life of hard labor and brutal conditions. A journal entry from April 1835 mentions a person who, “having been sold to go down the river, attempted first to cut off both of his legs, failing to do that, cut his throat, did not entirely take his life, went a short distance and drowned himself.”

5. No Can Do

Similar to long time, no see, no can do originated as a jab at non-native English speakers. According to the OED, this example was likely directed at Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. Today, many people who use the phrase as general slang for “I can’t do that” are unaware of its cruel origins.

6. Indian Giver

Merriam-Webster defines an Indian giver as “a person who gives something to another and then takes it back.” One of the first appearances was in Thomas Hutchinson’s History of the Colony of Massachuset’s Bay in the mid 18th century. In a note, it says “An Indian gift is a proverbial expression, signifying a present for which an equivalent return is expected.” In the 19th century, the stereotype was transferred from the gift to the giver, the idea of an “equivalent return” was abandoned, and it became used as an insult. An 1838 N.-Y. Mirror article mentions the “distinct species of crimes and virtues” of schoolchildren, elaborating, “I have seen the finger pointed at the Indian giver. (One who gives a present and demands it back again.)”

Even as this stereotype about Indigenous people faded, the phrase Indian giver has persisted into the 21st century. The word Indian in Indian giver also denotes something false, as it does in the antiquated phrase Indian summer.

7. Cakewalk

In the antebellum South, some enslaved Black Americans spent Sundays dressing up and performing dances in the spirit of mocking the white upper classes. The enslavers didn’t know they were the butt of the joke, and even encouraged these performances and rewarded the best dancers with cake, hence the name.

Possibly because this was viewed as a leisurely weekend activity, the phrase cakewalk became associated with easy tasks. Cakewalks didn’t end with slavery: For decades, they remained (with cake prizes) a part of Black American life—but at the same time, white actors in blackface incorporated the act into minstrel shows, turning what began as a satire of white elites into a racist caricature of Black people.

[galerymod]

It's interesting how all the conservatives and the right-wingers are working on the term woke, a real culture of excitement is being spun around the term.

What kind of bullshit has anyone of the woke people prevented the conservatives and right-wingers from their twisted world view or disturbed them in their daily propaganda?

Does woke interfere with anyone's shopping or daily life?

You get upset about it but climate change being a real threat to future generations is not an issue to get upset about!

Yes, there are criticisms of woke but these are minor compared to the real challenges facing societies.

mod

And what is that supposed to be?

Awake, Not Woke

A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology

Mindfulness, woke and kindness is not an ideology but a realisation from the deep love for people and their form in societies to contribute together to the happiness of all.

And should be the basis of business ethics.

And this is the crux of the matter: in the context of globalisation, woke would be a nightmare for many global corporations and also for their shareholders. They have to eliminate injustice in the form of exploitation and environmental destruction at all levels, which would be good for the world, but not in the sense of the highly praised profit maximisation.

This is the real background to the uproar that is being staged against wokeness.

The Christian religion has proven throughout its history that it is anti-woke. Witch burnings, slavery, persecution of those who think differently, absolute obedience to dictatorships (see the Russian Orthodox Church), hatred of everything foreign - the entire Bible Belt in the USA can tell you a thing or two about it. All conquest in the name of the church, religious wars and so on and so forth.

So stop eating chalk, you haven't even begun to understand the principle of humanity that Jesus preached.

It's actually religious abuse and unfortunately that counts for everyone who sees humanity as a weakness. It is not the strongest who survive but the most co-operative.

Wokeness

What does "woke" mean? - Meaning and origin

"Woke" - being aware of discrimination

"Woke", also known as "wokeness", comes from the English and means "awake" or "alert". Today, the term is used colloquially to describe attentiveness (vigilance) or sensitivity towards people from minorities and moments of discrimination. The wokeness movement focuses primarily on issues such as racism, sexism and similar forms of discrimination. However, the term is also often used to describe supposedly general structural and political grievances.

Origin of the term "woke"

The term originated in the mid-20th century in the African-American movement as an expression of awareness of social or racial oppression. One of the earliest uses can be found in a 1962 article by author William Melvin Kelley, which lists African-American slang expressions and is about white beatniks appropriating black slang. The term was taken up again more strongly with the start of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, which brought it back into the public consciousness.

Since June 2017, the word can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary . The OED has since described the term "woke" as follows:

Originally: well informed, up to date. - Now mainly: vigilant against racial or social discrimination and injustice; frequent use: "to remain vigilant"

Criticism of the woke movement

Despite the need for "wokeness" in society, the term "woke" does not only have positive connotations. Especially in conservative circles, it is also used in a derogatory way, criticising the woke movement itself. The main criticism is usually that "woke" people are too sensitive. At the same time, however, this also automatically raises the question of whether those expressing criticism are not themselves too insensitive or too insensitive, which sometimes leads to the formation of camps. The main criticism is that

1. being woke is only based on criticism

A frequent criticism of the woke movement is that being woke is often only based on criticising others for not being woke enough. This was also the case for Barack Obama when he said in an interview with the New York Times in 2019 that the activism of young people today is based on pillorying other people. This creates a black-and-white view that lacks room for dialogue and education. This is a problem because all people have more or less faults. Excessive polarisation is a pattern that is particularly evident in social media.

2. premature development of a cancel culture

Another consequence of a culture of discussion that would only consist of criticism would be a hasty development into a cancel culture, in which certain people or groups would be completely shunned in order to deprive them of a platform. The fear is that people or groups who otherwise do good things will be cancelled without giving them space for dialogue and development. Quirks would be penalised too much.

3. political correctness

The term "woke" is also controversially discussed in connection with "political correctness", which actually aims to strengthen the interests of minorities, especially through the appropriate use of language, and thus avoid discrimination. It is criticised for creating new norms that are sometimes perceived as censorship. Critics fear that freedom of expression will be undermined by a kind of moralism. However, even the freedom to address discrimination is criticised.

Most recently, the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, spoke of "woke indoctrination in schools", which must be tackled. The term indoctrination describes vehement, one-sided, distorted teaching that does not allow for discussion, which is a central method of propaganda, especially in dictatorships. The extent to which the two terms can be connected at all remains questionable.

4 Woke washing and woke capitalism

We speak of woke washing and woke capitalism when brands, institutions or even individuals speak out against discrimination or grievances, but at the same time act in the opposite way or not at all. The criticism here is that companies in particular create a progressive self-image that is nevertheless subordinated to ruthless profit maximisation behind the woke façade. The image of a sustainable and equal corporate culture thus becomes a marketing strategy instead of an authentic identity.

Here is a simple definition of the rights for example (more of a fight call than a definition probably didn't pay attention to the definitions at school)

"Woke": definition and meaning

"Woke" means to be awake and committed and is a left-wing ideological term of struggle. Under the guise of "anti-discrimination" and the demand for "social justice", our liberal social order based on Christian bourgeois values is to be fought against at all levels and replaced by a socialist order.

Swiss political activists with a clear enemy image

And now a short definition from everyone who gets to the point (has probably understood what a definition is without propaganda and call to arms)

Wokeness

Definition: What is "wokeness"?

Wokeness is the attitude and movement of alertness and vigilance. It is the act of paying attention to what is happening in the world and wanting to remove anti-Semitism, racism, sexism, violence, environmental destruction, factory farming and other evils by raising one's voice in the mass media and on social media, on the streets and in the squares, in schools, universities and companies. In English, "to be woke" means "to be vigilant" against injustices of all kinds.

Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel

[linguistlist-blog]

FYI: The linguistic and cultural influence of hip-hop and rap: findings of the Oxford Dictionary of African American English project

The linguistic and cultural influence of hip-hop and rap: findings of the Oxford Dictionary of African American English project Thursday, 17 Oct 2024 · 5:30 PM BST | 12:30 PM EDT | 04:30 PM GMT Book your place http://tiny.cc/ODAAE-hiphop-rap-LL Hip-hop and rap cultures are an important source of evidence for the Oxford Dictionary of African American English (ODAAE) project, and many interesting examples have emerged so far – join us for a virtual discussion that will cover: • A brief overvi http://dlvr.it/TCXbTh

[everyonesanauthor]

What’s New? A Dictionary!

We often think of dictionaries as formal and stagnant tomes, but that’s not the case. In fact, there’s a brand new dictionary on the way. In this June 2023 CNN article “Large-scale study will culminate in the Oxford Dictionary of African American English,” writer Meron Moges-Gerbi announces this major new publication, coming in 2025. The dictionary aims to honor the tradition of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and contain entries suggested by both scholars and the public.

QUESTIONS

1. The very existence of this project lends legitimacy to a wider variety of dialects and self-expressions in a culture that’s historically prioritized “standard” English for all. How might the new dictionary change how we learn to write and communicate or what counts as “good writing”? Do you think this project will lead to a mainstream embrace of other American dialects?  What would that look like?

2. The editors of the new dictionary say that many of the terms included are ones used across cultures (“shout-out,” “lit” and “woke,” for example) but are rooted in African American history and vernacular. According to the article, why is the historical context of language important? The article doesn’t include any naysayers—those who might question the value of celebrating ways of speaking beyond “standard “English. Does this omission weaken the article? What questions might a naysayer raise about this project?

3. The editors plan to include words ranging from those first recorded during the Middle Passage to terms commonly used on social media today. In a related article from March 2023, “Assembling the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, New Yorker writer Alex Carp provides more insight into how the Oxford Dictionary of African American English is being created. Carp highlights debates about the origins of certain words (such as “grill: n., a removable or permanent dental overlay worn as a fashion statement and typically made of silver, gold, platinum, or another metal” and how they settled spellings (such as “do-rag,” or is it “durag”? “dew-rag”?). Write an essay proposing a term you think should be included in this new dictionary. Why is the word you chose important? What’s its origin and how it is used today? Why should this entry be included over others?

[rmpmw]

A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

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1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

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2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

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3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

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4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

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5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

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6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

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7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

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8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

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9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

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10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

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11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

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12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

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13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

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14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

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15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!

[amilst]

Cannabis, Marijuana. This year’s crop is just beautiful and already six feet tall. It is the same strain as last year’s: Acapulco Gold. 

You might recall the etymology of the various names for the plant in last year’s post. “Cannabis” comes from the Scythians word “kanab” which the Greeks made into κάνναβις or kánnabis, their word for “hemp.” “Marijuana” has its origins in a Central African word “mariamba,” used by American slaves in the 1700s, which became the Spanish word “marihuana,” again meaning “hemp.” “Pot” comes from the Spanish phrase “potacion de guaya,” which is a wine or brandy used to soak Cannabis buds during the 1930s.  And “grass” comes from the thousand-year- old Hindu text Atharvaveda, in which the plant is deified as “Sacred Grass.” 

The anatomy of the plant is quite amazing and remarkably engineered. The entire flower structure is called the “cola.” If you look at the close up, you can see small pear-shaped leaves within the structure. These are called “brachts,” designed to protect the precious flowers or buds. The white threads in the flowers are the pistils and would catch the pollen from a male plant if the gardener foolishly allowed males to mix with the girls and produce seeds. The pistils should turn to a goldish brown when the season ends and the plant is ready for harvesting. The white dots are the trichomes, small hairs from the epidermis of the plant. These are heavy in THC content and keep the deer and other wildlife from attacking the plant and being too wonked out to find their way home. The flowers continue to multiply up and down the plants at the bases of the gorgeous fan leaves.

Last year and this, I grew Acapulco Gold because it was a favorite in my college dorm. It is what in tomato plants would be called an heirloom plant. It was an original strain of cannabis and is eschewed by today’s growers because the plants prefer the outside air and do not do well indoors. The stems are strong, as evidenced by the fact we have had some ferocious storms this summer and nary a leaf has been shed.

Acapulco Gold was traditionally cultivated in the Guerrero Mountains outside the city. In the seventies, no less an authority than the Oxford English Dictionary called it "a special grade of cannabis  . . . with a color of brownish gold, or a mixture of gold and green.” It has also been called "connoisseur pot," Another report from the time highlighted its "exquisite taste." 

It was the favorite strain of such luminaries as Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger and rock photographer Paul Ferrara. Reportedly, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle tried it to understand if marijuana would cause problems for his players. And it was in the joint my father famously brought back for his kids when he and my mother vacationed in Acapulco.

Acapulco Gold is still an icon of the counter-culture, still being written about 60 years on. It appeared prominently in literature and film of that golden era. The 1972 novel Acapulco Gold by Edwin Corey, set in an impossible to imagine future world where marijuana would be legal, described the competition among advertising agencies to market it. Norman Spinrad’s novel Bug Jack Barron similarly described a futuristic world where the leading brand Acapulco Gold was promoted in a commercial like this:

"In the high country of Mexico evolved a savoury strain of marijuana which came to be known as Acapulco Gold in the days of the contraband trade. Prized for its superior flavor and properties, Acapulco Gold was available only to the favored few due to its rarity and the difficulties involved in importation." 

In Cheech and Chong’s classic film, Up in Smoke, Cheech says "You know like I smoke that Acapulco Gold, man," and in the duo’s debut album, he sings, "No stems no seeds that you don't need, Acapulco Gold is some badass weed."

In their debut album, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, with Jerry Garcia on the pedal steel, included a song titled “Henry.”  They sang:

Every year along about this time it all goes dry There's nothing round for love or money That'll get you high Henry got pissed off and said he'd run to Mexico To see if he could come back holdin' Twenty keys of Acapulco Gold

Now the road to Acapulco is very hard indeed And it isn't any better if you haven't any weed.

[hurgablurg]

sorry if this is vague but I cant remember which it was - some program on cbc radio this morning, while talking about "slang" being incorporated into the oxford dictionary, claimed that snoop dogg coined the word "shizzle" and that taylor swift (?) coined the word "twerk". which is false on both counts

its just AAVE, african american vernacular english. and the first two words of that is also why they weren't entered into the oxford dictionary until after being spread among a demographic of white kids.

which is funny because anything remotely interesting or cool about western culture has been the result of stealing it from minority cultures within imaginary borders, much of it taken from the black community before having it's origins obscured or white washed in "professional" discussions, in the first place.

this little rewriting of history in a saturday morning radio fun-factoid is just another example of this much larger trend

[anumberofhobbies]

"... The etymology of “y’all” is murky. Some linguists trace it back to the Scots-Irish phrase “ye aw”; others suggest an African American origin, perhaps from the Igbo word for “you” brought over by Nigerian-born enslaved people. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word first appeared in print in 1856, and all of its examples are sources connected to the American South. Michael Montgomery, a noted linguist, said that early use of the word “is unknown in the British Isles.”

But recently I used some of the new digital literary databases to search for older uses of the word, and I found over a dozen examples. They were all in dramatic or poetic works dating back to the 17th century and published in London. The earliest “y’all” that I uncovered was in William Lisle’s The Faire Æthiopian, published in 1631: “and this y’all know is true.”

My examples push “y’all” back 225 years before the citation in the Oxford English Dictionary, and they show that the word appeared first in England rather than the United States.

I think it’s important to point out that it originated in a more formal context than what’s commonly assumed. There are none of the class or cultural connotations of the later American examples. ..."

[fuojbe-beowgi]

"The First 10 Words of the African American English Dictionary Are In" by Sandra E. Garcia via NYT Style https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/style/african-american-english-oxford-dictionary.html?partner=IFTTT

[optimisticfoxkoala]

Assembling the Oxford Dictionary of African American English https://t.co/8qVFFY3l0s

Assembling the Oxford Dictionary of African American English https://t.co/8qVFFY3l0s

— Karen Spears (@Kar3nSpears) Mar 20, 2023

from Twitter https://twitter.com/Kar3nSpears

[biglisbonnews]

The Origins of 'Y'All' May Not Be in the American South This story was originally published on The Conversation and appears here under a Creative Commons license. Southern Living magazine once described “y’all” as “the quintessential Southern pronoun.” It’s as iconically Southern as sweet tea and grits. While “y’all” is considered slang, it’s a useful word nonetheless. The English language doesn’t have a good second person plural pronoun; “you” can be both singular and plural, but it’s sometimes awkward to use as a plural. It’s almost like there’s a pronoun missing. “Y’all” fills that second person plural slot—as does “you guys,” “youse,” “you-uns,” and a few others. I’m interested in “y’all” because I was born in North Carolina and grew up saying it. I still do, probably a couple dozen times a day, usually without intention or even awareness. As a historian who has researched the early history of the word, I’m also interested in how the word’s use has changed over the years. “Y’all” might serve an important function, but it has acquired negative connotations. Back in 1886, The New York Times ran a piece titled “Odd Southernisms” that described “y’all” as “one of the most ridiculous of all the Southernisms.” That perception has persisted. Like the Southern dialect in general, the use of “y’all” has often been seen as vulgar, low-class, uncultured, and uneducated. As someone noted in Urban Dictionary, “Whoever uses [y’all] sounds like a hillbilly redneck.” In a more recent New York Times essay, writer Maud Newton said that she associated the word with her father, who “defended slavery, demanded the subservience of women, and adhered to ‘spare the rod and spoil the child.’” He also demanded that his children say “y’all” rather than “you guys.” She grew up hating the word. At a time when many Americans are calling for the removal of Confederate monuments and opposing the Lost Cause mythology, “y’all,” with its Southern overtones, might make some people uncomfortable—a misguided reaction, perhaps, but one that has been felt by both those who hear it and those who say it. The word has not always had such negative connotations. The etymology of “y’all” is murky. Some linguists trace it back to the Scots-Irish phrase “ye aw”; others suggest an African American origin, perhaps from the Igbo word for “you” brought over by Nigerian-born enslaved people. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word first appeared in print in 1856, and all of its examples are sources connected to the American South. Michael Montgomery, a noted linguist, said that early use of the word “is unknown in the British Isles.” But recently I used some of the new digital literary databases to search for older uses of the word, and I found over a dozen examples. They were all in dramatic or poetic works dating back to the 17th century and published in London. The earliest “y’all” that I uncovered was in William Lisle’s The Faire Æthiopian, published in 1631: “and this y'all know is true.” My examples push “y’all” back 225 years before the citation in the Oxford English Dictionary, and they show that the word appeared first in England rather than the United States. I think it’s important to point out that it originated in a more formal context than what’s commonly assumed. There are none of the class or cultural connotations of the later American examples. I should also note that there is almost a century-long gap between the last known usage of this British version of “y’all” and the first known usage of the American version. Scholars may well decide that these versions of “y’all” are essentially two different words. Still, there it is, in an English poem written in 1631. Ironically, at the same time that some people have shied away from using “y’all,” the word seems to have grown in popularity. An article on exactly this topic, published in the Journal of English Linguistics in 2000, was titled “The Nationalization of a Southernism.” Based on scientific polling, the authors suggested that “y’all” will soon be seen as an American, rather than Southern, word. There might be several reasons for this. One is that African American use of the word in music and other forms of popular culture has made it more familiar – and, therefore, acceptable – to those who didn’t grow up with it. Second, “you guys,” another common alternative for the second-person plural pronoun, is losing support because of its sexist connotations. Are females included in you guys? How about those who identify as nonbinary? Maud Newton eventually came to embrace “y’all.” When she moved to Tallahassee, Florida, after law school, she found that “in grocery stores and coffee shops, on the street and in the library, everyone—Black and white, queer and straight, working-class and wealthy—used y’all, and soon I did, too.” “Y’all means all”—that’s a wonderful phrase that seems to be popping up everywhere, from t-shirts and book titles to memes and music. A song written by Miranda Lambert for Netflix’s “Queer Eye” beautifully captures the spirit of the phrase: David Parker is a professor of history at Kennesaw State University. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/yall-southern-pronoun

[linguistlist-blog]

FYI: The Oxford Dictionary of African American English (ODAAE) project is well underway!

Bringing together the lexicographical resources of the Oxford English Dictionary and the Hutchins Center’s network of scholars of African American studies, the ODAAE is a three-year research project which will document the lexicon of African American English (AAE) in a dictionary based on historical principles. For all those interested in African American English, this groundbreaking work of scholarship will be the definitive reference for information about AAE words’ meanings, pronunciation, s http://dlvr.it/SzlcDF

[iamemeralddream76]

KWANZAA DAY 6 – CREATIVITY Habari Gani? Kuumba! Creativity is a Principle that underscores all the other Principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia and Imani. Historically, Black people have used the Principle of Creativity to solve problems, for innovations and to elevate ordinary things to amazing things. Here are just a few ways Black people have used Kuumba to make America great: During times of enslavement, African-Americans used coded messages in songs of faith. The structure of these songs were used in blues songs, which as we know have influenced most genres of contemporary popular music. Soul food. The Lexicon. American newscasters, screenplays, and co-workers sound much different than they did many years ago because of the influence of Black Creativity. Words like “bling” are in the Oxford English Dictionary. African-American derived words are so completely baked into American culture that even the most uptight of reporters and colleagues now regularly pepper their speech with phrases like “the bomb” without a soupçon of hesitation. Kwanzaa Heads Up If you are feeling inspired and motivated as you reflect on the Nguzo Saba, the Sixth and Seventh days of Kwanzaa are excellent times to plan. Today or tomorrow, consider creating a vision board or writing a goals list. Courtesy of; https://showingupandshowingout.com/kwanzaa-kujichagulia/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2SKoUvCwS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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What is the purpose of a durag?

Black men used Durag to protect and style their hair.The guys wore durags to keep their hair from getting messed up.Men with cornrows wore durags. Does a durag have a purpose? A durag gives the effect of waves when your hair creates a radial effect from the crown.Durag can be worn with cornrows, keeping them free of frizz for at least a while. Why do people have durags? A durag is a close-fitting cloth tied around the top of the head to protect the hair, and a wave cap is a close-fitting cap for the same purpose. What does the durag symbolize? In art, music, and fashion, durags are being embraced as a symbol of divinity and diaspora, a marker of identity and existence, and a tribute to a black tradition that should no longer be ridiculed but revered. Can a white person get waves? White people have hair that is bone straight to tight ringlets.A natural wave or curl pattern is all you need to get waves. Why do schools not allow durags? The Board of Education decided to ban the durags because of their true concerns of safety with students wearing these head caps on school property. Can Indians get waves? Waves can be gotten without being black.That's the positive side.Some non black individuals will be able to wave up, but many will not.Your hair needs to have a curl pattern in order to get waves. Can straight hair get curly? Straight hair can be made curly with the right products.You will need to get a perm if you want to have permanent hair. What does a durag do? A do-rag is a piece of cloth used to cover the head.The Oxford English Dictionary states that the term derives from do as in hairdo, a do-rag is often worn to protect a processed hairstyle. Why do schools ban braided hair? The policy contains explicit gender discrimination that recent court decisions have found to be unconstitutional and violates Title IX, and it also explicitly bans 'braided hair or twisted rows/strands', which is a proxy for race discrimination and disproportionately harms Black students in the district. Can I wear a durag at mcdonalds? There are 6 answers.You can wear a durag. What hair type is Indian hair? There are two categories for Indian curly hair:Type 2 andType 3.Find out more about your curl pattern.The hair type has a tousled wavy texture.There are definite S patterns at the ends of the hair. Is Indian hair straight or curly? Indians have always considered straight hair the ideal type, even though most of the world's population has curly or wavy hair.Salons are considered to be the chief architect of the natural hair revolution in India because users rely on their word more than anyone else. Is curly or straight hair sexier? In the end, we found that 42% of the men agreed that curlier is sexy. Does hair change every 7 years? It's true that hair can change completely every seven years if you've ever heard of it.Each bundle holds multiple hair strands. What's a wave haircut? Waves are a hairstyle for curly hair that is popular amongst African American men, in which the curls are brushed and/or combed and flattened out, creating a ripple-like pattern. Why do schools not allow Durags? The Board of Education decided to ban the durags because of their true concerns of safety with students wearing these head caps on school property. Can a school make you cut your hair UK? Exclusions and Discipline can be found here.It's important that schools don't discriminate against you.If you can't cut your hair or wear a head-dress because of your religion, the school should take that into account. Does McDonalds allow dyed hair? There are 9 answers.They can have colored hair. What should a girl wear to a Chick Fil A interview? If you are interviewing for a job at a fast food restaurant, dress casually.If you are interviewing for a job, dress nicely. Which country human hair is the best? 100% REMY is processed to the highest international standards.Human hair is processed in Malaysia.Light-as-air hair. Read the full article