Ebonics Definition| Urban Word Dictionary

Ebonics

The heart of AAVE, the part that is shared across most age groups (although they tend to be used most frequently by teenagers) and that link it most strongly to the language's origins in the creole speech of slavery (compare parallels with creole dialects in the Caribbean today or in Hawaii), is its phonology and grammar. These are the parts that tend to be less often diffused to other groups, and that are the most lasting and the most regular. The single biggest mistake people make about AAVE is dismissing it as careless, or lazy speech, where anything goes. As with all spoken languages, AAVE is extremely regular, rule-governed, and systematic.-John R. Rickford, Stanford University

Ebonics

by language student on Jun 14, 2003 05:49:02

A dialect of English used primarily by African Americans but also used by others in urban settings. Definitions that characterize ebonics as a bastardized form of English are chauvinistic and promote division and hatred. The existence of ebonics is probably a primary reason for this site's existence.

Example:
"Hell-yizzel to the shizzel-nizzel"
"Fo-shizzel!"

Ebonics

by Steagles on Feb 13, 2006 12:12:45

A combination of English and dialects of African-Americans descended from West African peoples. Sometimes known as African American Vernacular English, but thats a bitch term.

Example:
Hey, yo boy, we ain't speakin' no ebonics, watchu talkin' bout nigga.

Ebonics

by Seperation=discrimination on Apr 01, 2011 03:55:59

Ebonics - Plural noun (treated as singular), Blend of Ebony and Phonics.

The African-American dialect of Standard English, there are different dialects within Ebonics itself. Similar to how the American dialect of English has dialects within itself such as the Texan dialect and the Boston dialect.

Ebonics is a dialect of Standard English just as American, Canadian, Scottish, Irish, Australian ect. forms of English are all dialects of Standard English. It is usually spoken by African-Americans who are the decedents of Black slaves from West Africa and the Caribbean.

Example:
Ebonics was born from the fact that African-American slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write during their lives. Without proper instruction from their English speaking "masters" slaves were forced to learn English with the only language rules they knew from their native languages. Ebonics are usually seen as a form of "broken English" as a result. However they bear a resemblance to Scottish speakers of English.

The Scottish people who used to speak Gaelic had English forced upon them by the English as well during conquest and enslavement. However proper instruction was not given in the language and its rules and as a result the Scottish dialect of English is different than Standard English.

Both Scottish English, and African-American English (Ebonics) are dialects of Standard English. However, certain people have tried to claim that Ebonics is a separate language in it's own right while choosing to ignore basic definitions of language and other examples of similar cases. If Ebonics is indeed a separate language than the Scottish dialect of English, and many other dialects of English will also be different languages. The people who are trying to establish Ebonics as a separate language are simply trying to segregate African-Americans dialects as well as their culture from American culture and not allowing it to be included in Euro-American culture.

Ebonics

by Originata on Dec 15, 2007 00:40:00

A vernacular or dialect spoken by Afrian-Americans; the result of how uneducated African slaves in America became to understand and communicate the English language. NOT SLANG.

Example:
English: I am, you are, he is

Ebonics: I be, you be, he be

Ebonics

by Jesus Himself on May 11, 2005 03:15:53

Yo lisin' up y'all. Ebonics be a way of talkin' when you in da hood o' up in da club. When you be talkin' Ebonics, guys is pimp}s or gangstas. Girls is hos or fine piece o' ass. When you sees someone you knows, you ax dem a qwestion, like,
what up, or what up playa. After you says something, you can say b-otch. You can be sayin' yo mama a lot of da time. It's betta if you wears some bling or be in a car that bouces when you says Ebonics. Do you gots it?

Example:
Yo, what up playa? Yo mama be up in da club, ho! B-OTCH!!!

Ebonics

by Rach09 on Feb 14, 2009 03:26:22

Just thought I should point out (though I find it unusual that you wouldn't know this, considering your "doctorate in languages") that "aks" was actually the original pronunciation of what is now accepted as "ask".

The word "ask" originally came from the word "acsian". By the time people settled North America in the 1400's though, the word had been shortened to "aks". Like with many words (especially those combining the "s" and "c" sounds) metathesis occured, and some people began to pronounce the word as "ask".

Because of animosity between the North and the South, the North started consistently pronouncing it as "ask" and put pressure on the public school system to have it taught that way as well. "Aks" became stigmatized as the "souther/uneducated" pronunciation, though at this point had yet to be associated with African Americans.

Ultimately, under pressure fromthe North, all public schools(PS) adopted that pronunciation. Because african americans were not allowed access to PS at that time, they continued to learn that it was pronounced as "ask".

It's less a matter of "ebonics" as it is your lack of historical knowledge. Get educated love :)

Example:
In reference to the use of "aks" as an example of the controversial term "ebonics", AKS and ASK were for a long time both accepted ways to pronounce what is now most widely accepted as "Ask"

Ebonics

by 85036720 on Jan 30, 2017 15:11:23

A language device for efficiency. Ebonics are the simplification/shorthand of American English. Other definitions on Urban Dictionary have a negative perspective of Ebonics mostly because of the content of what is said. While that is relevant information it doesn't quite get at the root of what Ebonics is, which is a language device for efficiency. In that way it is Permaculture and a very beautiful thing indeed.

Example:
Ebonics are how Twista can say:

"I'm rippin a rap and then rockin a rhythm and ring in my tongue I'ma bend em
And flow with a lyric it's steppin inside em
And get with the funk I be pumpin up in em
With this and it's the..."

in 4 seconds. From the song Mista Tung Twista:
youtube.com/watch?v=aRLD051dK3U

It's Poetry which is Art which is Love.

Ebonics

by snoop on Sep 13, 2003 06:14:59

The commonly used forn of communicting between one African-American and another.

Example:
phrase-SHIT! cuz that nig wit his crew is stright pimpin in dat hot six fow

translation-Wow, good buddy, that citizen and his friends are traviling in a very nice vehicle.

Ebonics

by Gizmo on Apr 10, 2003 11:45:12

The way black people talk its stands for, ebony which means dark and phonics with means like the way of speaking or the vocabulary so in other words the way black people speak.

Example:
Like for shizzle my nizzle thats part of ebonics or like that was a hizzy for shizzy party.

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