I have nothing against African-Americans, but sometimes I cannot understand a word they are saying, even though they are speaking English. If their only language is English, why can't they just speak it properly? I hate asking them to repeat themselves over and over, but I have to because it all sounds like jibberish to me.
2006-07-13 17:13:43 · 11 answers · asked by Maria Isabel 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
I notice a few people answered your question without reading it, as do many people on Yahoo. I see where you said sometimes you do not understand , yet somehow they seem to think you said never. I do not see anywhere where you said all African Americans speak like this. I am sure they are just bleeding heart liberals looking to insult someone who does not think like them. Your question is a valid one of which I have an idea why they talk the way the do. I guess they are just trying to be different in someway similar to people who get tattoos or piercings or dye their hair a vibrant color. Young people always have rebelled in various ways in each generation. I would have to say this is why they speak the way they do.
2006-07-13 19:18:05 · answer #1 · answered by windyy 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Why would you put that label on all African Americans. With all the African Americans in the movie and entertainment industry you mean to tell me you can't understand a thing that they're saying? So Dr. Maya Angelo is hard to understand, Oprah is talking gibberish, Judge Mathis is almost speaking another language. I don't think so. I am African American and a lot of people tell me how my family and I speak very properly. I also have some Caucasian co workers that I have to constantly correct and I often wonder what they were taught at school. Could it be that where you live that some African Americans may not speak properly but don't label a whole race of people as not being able to speak properly because the ones that you have been exposed to choose to speak this way. Don't act like everything that Caucasian people do is perfect and right because every one no matter what race they are has their flaws. And just to let you know the word is gibberish not gibberish.
2006-07-14 01:15:31 · answer #2 · answered by What? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one speaks proper English unless you are studying it, writing it or composing a letter to your Congressman. Most people speak broken English every day.
"Slang" is the better part of everything we say. Nationality has nothing to do with it. Take the Southerner or Northerner, the Mid Westener in asking for a drink? Cola, Pop or Soda.
And if you are from Tennessee you pronounce "battery" as batry . Then you have "you all" y'all, youans, and you guys". all meaning YOU!
You have those Hot New York guys from Yonkers and the Bronx with an accent that who in the hell understands half of it, but it sounds good.
Someone, somewhere, has coined the term "ebonics" to define a street lingo that has gone on for years.
Most people don't speak French, German ro Chinese either? Do you struggle to comprehend what they are saying or just let it go?
The concern over "ebonics" is that we can detect the language, it is the slang that we are afraid of.
Now all the fizzal,whizzel and chizzel is just as poetic as "thou cast thine eyes amongst the midst of man." Without thought or study no one knows what that means.
But no one speaks like that...........thus we forgo the reading and translation.
The Bible was writen in Latin, translated by scholars, re-written in Old English, and in various languages losing meaning in cultural definition. Yet we all seem to get the message on some level.
Ebonics is even taught in certain schools. If you find yourself often interacting with a spoken language that you don't understand then perhaps learn to understand that dialect.
Othewise.......just recognize my profile, don't step to the curb. dig me?
In other words........understand where I am coming from?
2006-07-14 02:34:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anna M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I do! One time a black social worker wrote a book in the mid 90's and called the african american accent "black english vernacular". At the time I was working with 3 black women and I mentioned the name of the accent casualy. They all looked at me like I was a racist for saying it. Lucky for me the New York Times article I had read this in was near my desk with a picture of the author!
Anyway, I think it is amazing that a lot of white people try and adopt this accent to sound cool - especially when you think how many african americans try to lose this accent if they want to climb the corporate ladder.
English is english. It should be spoken properly. Many black people have a slight accent but they take the time to pronounce everything and you can easily understand them.
2006-07-14 00:25:16 · answer #4 · answered by Think.for.your.self 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in a little city in North Carolina. Believe me, I've had my share. I hate how black people speak ebonics. I have a question. If we all go to the same schools, taught the same English, why can't they speak properly?
2006-07-14 01:01:15 · answer #5 · answered by sweetcha88 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Them"? "They"? Are you for real? Are you talking about human beings? It's just a guess, but I would put money on the fact that you have no African American friends. You sound like you think if people aren't white, they aren't from this planet. Where do you live? Are you from the backwoods, because you sound like a snob that is really some type of a closet redneck.
2006-07-14 00:57:10 · answer #6 · answered by Ambrosia 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oh yes! I have trouble understanding it all the time. And I admit, I am a stickler for the English language. The word is THat, not Dat, and those ARE socks, not those IS socks. lol.
2006-07-14 02:30:10 · answer #7 · answered by musical_miranda 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't have problems understanding them (and I'm a foreigner). I've gotten used to their way of talking and I understand them well. If you don't, you probably just haven't really tried it much yet or been around them enough to get used to their way of talking. You just need more exercise in it.
2006-07-14 09:48:10 · answer #8 · answered by undir 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i know what your talking about
it is because African-Americans have bigger tongues (yes this is true)
so they cant pronounce the words as well as we can
its nothing against them
its just the way they are made.
like white people cant rap...its just the way we were made.
2006-07-14 00:19:40 · answer #9 · answered by amber addiction 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sweet-heart i completely understand everything ur saying...i mean, i agree with you completely, i have the same problem. and my pet-peeves are enunciation and correct grammer, so these things, no matter who they come from, drive me crazy.
2006-07-14 00:18:48 · answer #10 · answered by piperc2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋