Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on African American English Vernacular/Evolution. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page research paper that explores the evolution of African American English Vernacular (AAEV) as a dialect of English, discussing the controversy among linguists over its origins, as well as its linguistic structure and similarities between AAEV and West African languages. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khaaev.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
the overall realm of linguistics. There are scholars who assert that AAEV is an English dialect that has its origin in African slaves learning English from exposure to whites in
the colonial period. This position focuses on the similarities between AAEV and dialects spoken in West England in the sixteenth century. On the other hand, other scholars argue that AAEV
should not be considered to be an English dialect as its grammar is almost entirely derived from West African languages and that Standard English and AAEV are related only by
lexicon. Still another theory locates the origin of AAEV as a derivative of Creole dialect. The following examination of AAEV looks at this controversy and argues that AAEV has
its origins in the culture of enslaved African Americans, but also contains linguistic elements that can be traced to European origins, mixed with elements of West African languages (BEV,
2003). However, before discussing the origins of AAEV, it is first enlightening to look at factors that influenced the development of AAEV once it began in this country. In
other words, why dialectical differences arise and why they persist. One factor that greatly influenced differences in dialect between regions is the influence of geographical barriers. Any feature, a river,
a mountain range, etc., that has served historically to keep two populations apart also serves to create differences in speech (Rickford, 2000). Another factor in geography are ethnic influences
that "borrow" words from different regional sources. For example, AAEV in the Deep South borrowed words like "jambalaya" and "bayou" from contact with the Louisiana French, while AAEV usage in
the Southwest included words derived from that region such as "mesa" and "lariat" (Rickford, 2000). Social dialects also come in wide varieties. The issue of social variation is critical to
...