Why do black folks......
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B_VinylBoy
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Because calling her an "ant" just sounds like we're naming her after an insect... you silly! :biggrin:
The pronunciation like goes back to early plantation days. The whites, who taught them English were often freshly over from Britain. Blacks in the South also say "ax" for "ask", which is an old English form of ask. In the South till this day, Black English, or Ebonics, has long been a very separate form of English from Caucasians. Some older forms still apply. I have heard Blacks say, though, that it is because she isn't an insect, but the reason is rooted in historic usage.
HellsKitchenmanNYC
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If you want a real answer, it's to do with linguistics. The fact is depending on where you are geographically, there are different dialects. This means depending on where you live, the people native to a given area will speak differently and pronounce things differently than another given area. This is why people from Boston speak and sound differently than people in Seattle for example. It's not just words that are pronounced differently, but syntax can be different as well as slang and colloquialisms.
People who think there is a right and wrong way to say something are just ignorant. Just like people who make fun of others who are speaking English as a second language and can't pronounce the same phonemes we can because they did not grow up with the same set of phonemes in their native language. So the best they can do is mimic the closet phoneme in their own native set. For instance, "L" is not phoneme present in Chinese. The closest phoneme on the IPA chart to an "L" sound is "R". Hence, the insensitive and asshole "Engrish" joke.
I'm a psycholinguist, so I know what I'm talking about...if you want me to nerd out more...then PM me.
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B_VinylBoy
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Yeah, and the "rake" that used to hold that distinction is mighty jealous. :wink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoMspJqqVcA
- b.c.,
I understand and appreciate your perspective and knowledge as a linguist and I agree with your take on people who don't appreciate colloquialisms, variations on syntax, phonemes and the like.
But if one were going to question the pronunciation of "aunt", would not a linguist expect the question to be in the reverse? That is to say, wouldn't one more likely ask, "How would one get "ant" out of "aunt"? (Linguistically speaking)...
Dear heart,
I am totally loving the sweeping generalizations. The ways in which African Americans pronounce the word meant to convey a female member of ones family are as varied as geographics and demographics allow. I know a number of mid atlantic blacks who say ANT and dont blink. My parents fighting against the regional mispronounciation, made it a point that the word was to be pronounced Aunt instead of Ant.
AX (ask) Scrimps (Shrimp) pusketti (Spaghetti) etc are said by some and not by others in and out of the South. I think it is probably more socio economic and perversity AKA "Keepin it real" that continues to perpetuate these mispronounciations to this day.
I am totally loving the sweeping generalizations. The ways in which African Americans pronounce the word meant to convey a female member of ones family are as varied as geographics and demographics allow. I know a number of mid atlantic blacks who say ANT and dont blink. My parents fighting against the regional mispronounciation, made it a point that the word was to be pronounced Aunt instead of Ant.
AX (ask) Scrimps (Shrimp) pusketti (Spaghetti) etc are said by some and not by others in and out of the South. I think it is probably more socio economic and perversity AKA "Keepin it real" that continues to perpetuate these mispronounciations to this day.
- b.c.,
Well, being from N.O. I'm not about to deride anyone for colloquialisms and variations on pronunciations, 'cause we've got some winners here.
I've heard both pronunciations here, and in fact many dictionaries account for both pronunciations of the word. So I'm not likely to imply one is either more correct than the other.
I guess I was asking (axing??)....
lol... reminds me of a local song: "They went on down to de Audubon Zoo and they all axed for you, (well they even inquired about ya)"...
I was just asking (for my own edification) how might a linguist go about teaching the pronunciation of the word (...teach both? teach local pronunciation? teach auh? teach short a - as in laugh? etc.)
I've heard both pronunciations here, and in fact many dictionaries account for both pronunciations of the word. So I'm not likely to imply one is either more correct than the other.
I guess I was asking (axing??)....
lol... reminds me of a local song: "They went on down to de Audubon Zoo and they all axed for you, (well they even inquired about ya)"...
I was just asking (for my own edification) how might a linguist go about teaching the pronunciation of the word (...teach both? teach local pronunciation? teach auh? teach short a - as in laugh? etc.)
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MarkLondon
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In the UK the majority of black people have Caribbean roots. Ax is prevalent, but it's always Auntie, not Aunt or Ant.
Lex
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- Lex,
Both pronunciations are acceptable, according to Merriam-Webster.
Main Entry:aunt
Pronunciation: \ˈant, ˈänt\
Function:noun
Many words in American English have more than one acceptable pronunciations. Water, is another example.
Agreed. The vowel combination of "au" is more rarely pronounced like the short "a".
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Channelwood
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Reminds me of the question posed by the crossword puzzler "What's a four letter word for 'female' that ends in 'unt'?"
D_Stockton Stiffye
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Myself being a "Black" from the "South" does not use ax instead ask. Speaking geographically, I lived in Detroit over half of my life and I've heard whites saying "yourn" as if saying its not mine its yourn and me personally I don't say "ant" or "auhnt" I say "aint" I've also heard "aintee" being used in the north and in the south by white and black people.
TurkeyWithaSunburn
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Dunno why but I always thought "ahnt" sounded kind of highbrow. I've always said "ant". Then again I've never batted an eye when someone said I need to woRsh dishes.
It was fun watching the D.C. and Baltimore news stations to see if the broadcasters would say Washington or Worshington :redface: Could tell who was a local yocal :smile:
I'm a hick, so sue me :tongue:
And it's not just black folks, I know quite a few white folks, and hispanic/mexicans who say ahnt, the majority of the time as in ahntie somebody.
Your what? your On Tee? Maybe that's why I've always said ant, I hear ahnt like "on" "tee"
It was fun watching the D.C. and Baltimore news stations to see if the broadcasters would say Washington or Worshington :redface: Could tell who was a local yocal :smile:
I'm a hick, so sue me :tongue:
And it's not just black folks, I know quite a few white folks, and hispanic/mexicans who say ahnt, the majority of the time as in ahntie somebody.
Your what? your On Tee? Maybe that's why I've always said ant, I hear ahnt like "on" "tee"
B_theOtherJJ
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