Date:  Mon, 17 Jul 1995 20:56:02 -0400

From:  TERRY IRONS <t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSUACAD.MOREHEAD-ST.EDU>

Subject: Re: AAVE/BEV/EBONICS/BAE AND WHAT NOT



On Mon, 17 Jul 1995, salikoko mufwene wrote:



>  Try analyzing some white nonstandard varieties of English within the

> theoretical framework you used for AAVE/BAE's time reference system and I

> dare you to draw the same conclusion. I am amused by the fact that neither

> you nor Ditra invoke what the average speaker of AAVE/BAE thinks they speak.

> Just think why a term as appealing as "Ebonics" has not become popular

> within the African American population most closely connected with the

> variety (since 1975!), in contrast with, for instance, "African American."

> Its usage is still confined to a segment of the elite, especially the

> Afrocentrists.

> Sali.



Labels as distinct from realities have political/economic motivations.

Notice that my fanciful name for this language included "Hibernian." In

this respect I include many so-called non-standard varieties spoken by

people of Irish and Scots descent in what we call BE. I teach many of

these people in the Appalachian plateau region of the US, a region with

the most concentrated poverty in this land of plenty. These people are

intensely aware of the fact that they speak differently from the way

people on the TV speak. It is sad that they are often ashamed of this

fact, and want to change they way they speak. I see it every day. It is

a case of internal colonialism at its worst.



Terry



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Terry Lynn Irons    t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]msuacad.morehead-st.edu

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