Re: CHAT: Ebonic Xmass

Terrence Donnelly wrote:

> At 10:53 PM 01/12/2000 -0600, you wrote:
>
> >>     I have heard "ax" for ask a zillion times. This, FWIW, is not inaccurate.
> >
> >Well, I think the problem was that it gives the impression that ALL blacks
> >speak this way.  While it is certainly true that many (those who speak
> >African American Vernacular English) might use this variant of the word,
> >that does not mean (a) that most use it, or (b) that it is a form exclusively
> >used by them.  Many people of all backgrounds use the form in many
> >parts of the English speaking world.
> >
>
> To me, the offensiveness was in the racial stereotypes of
> attitudes and behavior depicted in the poem.  If someone attempted to
> render the original "Night Before Christmas" in Ebonics (or whatever) and
> did a straight translation (not changing the content), I don't think this
> would be quite so bad.
Oh, no -- I didn't mean to imply that that was not also offensive -- it was.
I was just replying to the linguistic side of the argument.  Of course the
idea that blacks, whoever they are, act like ghetto stereotypes is
reprehensible.

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
AIM: Deuterotom ICQ: 4315704
<http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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