L700/Section 2876  AAVE: Grammar & History
Stuart Davis
MW 4 - 5:15
BH 322

This course examines the grammar of contemporary African American
Vernacular English (AAVE) and the controversy surrounding its history.
In the first several weeks we review the grammatical features that are
said to characterize AAVE. Afterwards, we will examine in detail the
controversy over the origins of these features. There are at least
three hypotheses: the Creolist Hypothesis, the Anglicist Hypothesis,
and the Divergence Hypothesis. The Creolist Hypothesis maintains
that the unique feature of AAVE reflect an earlier creole that was
widespread throughout the plantation south before the Civil War. The
Anglicist Hypothesis maintains that the features of AAVE reflect the
nonstandard dialects of English spoken by indentured servants and
other poor whites (many of whom were of Scotts-Irish origins) and who
would have had contact with the slave population. The Divergence
Hypothesis claims that the unique features of contemporary AAVE are of
recent origin (within the past 60 years) reflecting the social
segregation of the urban north since the Great Depression of the
1930's. Readings will be drawn from the current literature. Students
will be expected to present a number of articles from the readings and
write an original research paper on some aspect of the course.
Students will also be afforded experience in giving professional-style
oral presentation of their research.
For more information contact:
Stuart Davis, 855-2043
Memorial Hall 317
davis@indiana.edu