Book

Talking Black

Newbury House Publishers, Inc.Rowley, Mass. • Published In 1976 • Pages: xiv, 102

By: Abrahams, Roger D..

Abstract
This work is a detailed sociolinguistic study of Black English as it functions as a system of communication within and between various social segments of Afro-American communities in the United States. Much of the material presented here was gathered by the author, a linguist and folklorist, from observations of Black speaking behavior in the ghettos of Philadelphia, in Texas, and throughout the British West Indies. The source concentrates on Black English, not so much from its linguistic analysis, as from its use by American Blacks as a highly adaptable 'speaking system' of behaviors involving variations in style according to the appropriateness of the occasion, the relationship of the speaker to his/her listeners, what the speaker expects in return, etc. These behaviors are discussed throughout the major portion of the text under such terms as 'signifying, rapping, hipping, talking shit, putting-down, putting-on, hoorawing, and digging.'
Subjects
Speech
Sociolinguistics
Conversation
Social relationships and groups
Gender status
Talent mobility
Aggression training
Independence training
Transmission of cultural norms
Household
culture
African Americans
HRAF PubDate
2019
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Linguist
Folklorist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1986
Field Date
no date
Notes
Roger D. Abrahams
Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-98) and index
LCCN
76000077
LCSH
African Americans--Folklore
English language--Social aspects--United States
Black English