Black English
Americannoun
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any of a variety of dialects of English or English-based pidgins and creoles associated with and used by some Black people.
Etymology
Origin of Black English
First recorded in 1730–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Linguists are unsure of how Black English came about, but they believe it might have originated from West African or Creole languages.
From Washington Post • Aug. 17, 2022
Born and raised in Bremerton, Holland says that while AAE was the language he knew from his grandparents and from his upbringing in a Black church, he was discouraged from speaking Black English at school.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 17, 2022
AAVE, also referred to as Black English Vernacular or Ebonics, is a generalized term for a variety of dialects spoken by Black Americans.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
Jason Sudeikis showed up to the “Ted Lasso” Season 2 premiere in a shirt with the names of three Black English soccer players who endured racist abuse online.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2021
A common minstrel trope implied that Black English was once replete with what linguists call the “generalized am”—that is, using the verb form “am” with pronouns other than the first-person singular.
From Slate • Aug. 18, 2020
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
