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date: 03 October 2023

African American English (African-American Vernacular English, AAVE). 

Source:
The Oxford Companion to the English Language
Author(s):
Tom McArthurTom McArthur, Jacqueline Lam-McArthurJacqueline Lam-McArthur, Lise FontaineLise Fontaine

A term used typically in sociolinguistics to refer to a dialect of English spoken by many African Americans in the USA. African American English includes of a range of socially stratified urban and rural dialects. It is also used by non-African American speakers living in predominantly African American areas. Varieties of African American English are influenced by regional norms: the standard in the South is different from the standard in the North, and each in turn reflects colloquial usage in the same areas. Considerable style-shifting occurs in cross-cultural settings (e.g. talking to people of differing backgrounds) and especially on less formal occasions. The corresponding variation is pervasive, occurring with phonology, intonation, morphology, syntax, idioms, and the arts (e.g. hip-hop culture).... ...

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