More on Black Language: Phonology, Morphosyntax, Verbal Syntax, Aspect/Tense by Carmen Kynard
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Phonology
1) Non-rhotic (syllable-final /r/ is not pronounced)
car [ka:], party [pa:ti]
other examples: playa
2) Frequent deletion of final /l/, particularly after labials or word-finally with auxiliaries
help [hep]
3) Reduction of word-final clusters
test [tes], desk [des]
other examples: ax for ask
4) Fortition (hardening) of initial /ð/ to either [ḏ] (dental stop) or [d] (alveolar stop)
this [ḏɪs], there [ḏɛ:]
5) In word-final position /θ/ is frequently shifted to [f]; also found for /ð/ (> [v]) in word-internal position.
bath [ba:f], teeth [ti:f]
brother [brʌvə]
boffum for both of them
6) The distinction between short /ɛ/ and /ɪ/ is frequently lost before nasals
pen, pin [pɪn]; tent, tint [tɪn]
7) Strong initial stress is often found with words of two syllables
police [ˡpo:lis], define [ˡdi:fain]
Morphology and Syntax
1) Multiple negation
I ain’t gon give nothin to nobody.
2) Existential there is replaced by it
It ain’t no cute boys at this school.
It ain’t no class today.
3) Plurals are not marked if preceded by numerals.
He here for three year now.
4) The genitive is not marked with /s/ (as position is sufficient to indicate this category)
I drove my brother car.
Verbal Syntax
1) Third person singular -s is omitted.
She like my uncle.
She play too much.
2) Copula absence
She a professor.
She a baddie.
3) Come is grammaticalized as an auxiliary.
He come tellin me some story.
Here she come startin some mess.
4) Like to has the meaning of ‘almost’.
She like to fell out the chair laughing so hard.
She like to get us killt drivin like that.
5) Two modals within the same verb phrase.
He might could do the work.
Aspect/Tense
1) Habitual be to denote ALWAYS
They be gettin on my nerves.
I be up in da club.
She be sus.
2) An iterative/frequent aspect is expressed by means of steady or stay.
She steady talkin bout her hair.
She stay talkin bout herself.
3) Stressed been to indicate the remote past
We been did that.
4) Stressed done to indicate the recent past
She done lost her mind.
She done crashed her car.
She done did it this time.
She done gone crazy.
5) An intentional aspect with the particle a: precedes the verb form and stresses future/ immediacy
(also finna, gon, fixin to, bout to)
I’ma drive over there.
I’ma get something to eat.
I’ma do me.
We finna roll up.
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