User:Futoon01/sandbox

Our linguistic description of African American slang starts with the form of words and phrases. Slang is quintessentially about vocabulary. In any languagevocabulary is nonnally created from already existing words which are eithermodified or assigned new meanings; sometimes, entirely novel words arecoined or• borrowed from other languages.

African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also known as Ebonics, is a variety of English spoken by African Americans. AAVE shares both unique and common features with other English varieties spoken in the United States and the Caribbean. The number of AAVE speakers is difficult to determine precisely due to the variation in its usage among individuals and groups. The origins of AAVE are debated, with some scholars suggesting it developed through contact between West African languages and English, while others propose it emerged through second language acquisition. AAVE has been a subject of public controversy, often misunderstood and associated with negative stereotypes. Attitudes towards AAVE among its speakers are complex, with some valuing it while also recognizing situations where Standard English is appropriate. Similar ambivalent attitudes towards nonstandard varieties exist in various communities worldwide.