ebonics
ebonics Lexical Profile
ebonics Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American African American Vernacular English, regarded as a distinct sociolect or linguistic system with its own systematic grammatical, phonological, and lexical rules.
"In 1996, the Oakland school board sparked national debate by recognizing Ebonics as the primary language of many of its African American students."
Word Nuance & Usage
While originally coined by scholars as a positive linguistic term, 'Ebonics' became politically charged in the 1990s; contemporary linguists strongly prefer the terms 'African American Vernacular English' (AAVE) or 'African American English' (AAE).
• Rhymes for ebonics
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1973 by social psychologist Robert Williams and fellow African American scholars as a portmanteau of 'ebony' (meaning black) and 'phonics' (meaning vocal sounds).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.