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, also known as African-American Vernacular English, is an often controversial discussion not so much due to its usage but how AAVE is properly applied. As the English language in America is replete with regional influences, AAVE falls under that distinction and a discussion on the style of speaking is currently trending on Twitter.
Twitter user @IvoryTheJunior posted an interesting thought regarding AAVE On Monday (April 11) and the discussion that was sparked from the tweet is still bubbling today (April 12).
“Watching non-black people “adopt” (*kidnap) AAVE is so funny to me because there are legit some AAVE terms/phrases that I, a Black person, just don’t use because they don’t sound right coming from me. Y’all mouths be in Miami, Memphis, NYC, church, at the balls, on Good Times…,” @IvoryTheJunior wrote.
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To @IvoryTheJunior’s point, AAVE will differ from region to region. How AAVE is used in Washington, D.C. proper is different from how folks use certain terms in Baltimore. The same goes for Philadelphia and New York, despite their close proximity. In California, the way some might speak in Los Angeles will come off audibly varied in comparison to Black people raised in the Bay Area.
Further, AAVE could best be simplified as slang with dialectical influences. The range of words used among Black people across the diaspora that have resonance and meaning to the group is vast. Still, non-Black influencers and media personalities have famously butchered the way Black people use language that fits their unique communication needs at times.
Adding to this is that many of the popular phrases used across social media and news outlets such as “serve,” “work,” “slay,” “shade,” and the like are derived from Ball culture and the LGBTQ+, yet few pay their respects to that scene for inventing generation-defining slang terms.
On Twitter, folks are chiming in with their thoughts along with sharing examples of AAVE done wrong. We’ve got the reactions below.
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