Oxford University Press Intends to Publish an African American English Dictionary – IOTW Report

Oxford University Press Intends to Publish an African American English Dictionary

Sunday, 4 June 2023, 18:00 Dr. Tar Uncategorized 43

NBC News

Precise definitions for “bussin,” “chitterlings” and “cakewalk” will be distributed to the world in 2025 with a new dictionary issued by Oxford University Press.

Last year, Oxford University Press revealed its plan to publish the “Oxford Dictionary of African American English,” an entirely unequaled list. During a recent online presentation, those tied to the publication revealed that they already selected 100 words to include in its dictionary and has its eyes set on publication in March 2025, according to The New York Times. More

43 Comments on Oxford University Press Intends to Publish an African American English Dictionary

  16. there’s already been so much said that all I’ve thought of saying has alreaady been said except: in order to look up a word they’ll first have to learn to read and spell and it will be reaquired reading in the hoods from grade twelve on upwards

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  19. Why don’t they just publish a dictionary called Ebonics for dummies. Sheeit, ya’ll. It would become an instantly stolen # 1 book in da hood. It would be racist to charge any money for dis book since da feral’s can’t be held accountable for theft.

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  22. @Gerhardt — The OED folks will have to release this new book as a fondle-slab (smart phone) app that will work on Uncle Sam’s free phones.

    But now that I think about it, this isn’t a dictionary for use by black people, but rather by NON-black people: the black people already know what these words mean. What black people could use would be the standard English English OED, not that those who REALLY need it could actually READ it.

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  25. @Uncle Al: “But now that I think about it, this isn’t a dictionary for use by black people, but rather by NON-black people: the black people already know what these words mean.”

    And besides, you will need to be able to read.

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  26. THEIR attack on America is relentless,
    The more we allow their stupidity….
    The more they do it.

    I’d have them kiss my ass except they don’t deserve the privilege.

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  34. I look at the “conversates” on my nephew’s Instagram page and I didn’t understand any of the ebonic crap.
    He’s a college graduate and works for some environmental agency – management. The garbage language of the black culture has affected even an intelligent guy like my nephew. He does not normally talk like that. The fractured English and made up words are unrecognizable and constantly changing. This black American slang dictionary will be outdated by the time it hits the presses. The “black” culture, a Marxist construct as it has exists since the 1960s, is a disease and it’s awful language reflexs it.

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  36. 99th Squad Leader, I was moved up to the 5th floor of ABC (I was the telco guy) because the floor under my office was good for heavy stuff. The 5th floor happened to be ESPN. I’m not a wilting flower, but I have never heard such racism as I have heard when I was in that office.

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  37. I can believe it, Erik. Sadly, my nephew is a rabid fan of ESPN and LeBonehead James is his hero. *sigh*. You can guess what kind of racist crap he thinks is valid.

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  40. …this is fun and all, but among those who actually decide to make a life for themselves overcoming the streets even in language can be a real challenge.

    …one of the hardest working, most dedicated man it was ever my privilge to work with was literally raised in the projects, did whatever he had to do to survive, but found a way to actually work his way out of them and did so. He went from another hood rat to a 24 year employee in a very technical role whose career was only stopped by a heart attack; he also became a property owner with two rental properties and his own house, and put both of his daughters through college in dormitories while supporting his wife and ex-wife. Yes, ex-wife, he isn’t perfect, but he was a very decent and upright man when I knew him and we worked very closely together for about the last decade of his career here with no issues with laziness or drugs or alcohol or anything else stereotypically attributed to hood rats. He showed up, worked hard, and whatever he didn’t know he would learn. He actually in his last few years tried to get the young men to pull their pants up, something only someone with HIS background would DARE to do and not get fired for or his ass beat for, because he was trying to show them the way by example. Sometimes it even worked.

    But you could see flashes of it that he did sometimes have difficulty supressing.

    One was the word “Muthafucka”. It IS a very common usage word on the streets, particuarly in the era he came up with. One thing about stereotypes is that they wouldn’t work if there wasn’t a universally known kernal of truth, and that was one of them. No, it wasn’t like he put it in emails or whatever, but in casual conversation or when doing something stressful he would start to say it and back off if he could, usually resulting in something like “This mother…son bolt ain’t coming OFF!” or a sideways deflection that seems like ghetto slang but I knew to be an attempt at correction like “That guys a real problem and shee…” with kind of an embarrassed trailing off. Things like that, where common argot would try to break through and be , if sometimes incompletely, supressed.

    Although I have to say that in all that time, I don’t think I ever heard a complete curse word from him. He self-edited very well.

    …but there was always something in there that was probably beat into him in the streets, though. You didn’t want to slap his back because he didn’t like being touched AT ALL, and some things that you might not think about with most people, like pulling them aside or towards somewhere you wanted them to be, would be met by a stone stance because his muscles would harden instantly and prevent you from moving him, and then he’d pull away quickly and square up like it was going to be a fight…but again relax but keep a wary distance so you coulnd’t make contact again. Another time I was walking behind him holding a screwdriver and – not thinking, which I’m good at in social interactions – I started to go through some knife fighting motions (several feet back) that I was taking lessons for at the time when he saw the motion out of the corner of his eye and rounded on me like LIGHTNING with death in his eye. I’ve been in a lot of situations but this was one where I TRULY felt in fear for my life, that this normally mild man could end me in an instant if I didn’t drop the shit, which I did. He got his calm back after that, but locked me in a stare and said “Don’t ever do that again”, and so I did not.

    So he rose above the streets but they left a mark on him, just as everything in your past shaped you, and it always will be.

    So poke fun at it as we may, be aware that the patterns of youth shape the adult, and that it isn’t always that easy simply think them away, and give some slack to people who are honestly trying.

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  43. My nephew grew up in a upper middle class family in suburbia. He never experienced the street life of a hoodrat. Neither did I by the way. I grew up in an upper middle class environment, too. The pressure for a young black suburbanite like my nephew to associate with the “hood” is pretty overwhelming. So, my nephew did hang out with the few hoodrat cousins he has and some hoodrat friends at the risk of being ostracized. He’s a successful upper management type but the black “culture” has infected his life. His political views are leftist. So, he ignores the benefits of freedom and liberty that have made him and his family prosperous. I really wish he had the wisdom to know the truth.

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