Date:  Sun, 20 Nov 1994 12:56:34 -0600

From:  Natalie Maynor <maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU>

Subject: Re: Recent Black English



> >she used uninflected BE it did NOT refer to a habitual action. Anyone

> >else have this happen?

>  Your student is partly right. In AAVE, HE DON' TELL LIES and HE DON' BE

> TELLIN LIES do not mean the same thing. The first is the basic habitual;

> the second denotes repeated processes. Note also the absence of



I tend to use the word "habitual," perhaps erroneously, to mean "repeated

processes." Although "habit" is implied in "he don' tell lies" (or "he

tell lies"), I think of that as more like a continuous state -- more like

"he's not a liar" or "he's a liar" -- sort of a continuous habit, if I'm

not stretching things too much with that description.

  --Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)