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New page: '''Urban English''' (also referred to as '''Urban Vernacular English''', or '''Jive''') is a variant or dialect of English spoken by historically segregated minorities in urban com...
'''Urban English''' (also referred to as '''Urban Vernacular English''', or '''Jive''') is a variant or [[dialect]] of English spoken by historically segregated minorities in [[urban]] communities (or cities) across the [[United States]], predominantly [[African-American]]s. While mutually intelligible with English, it can sometimes be difficult to understand a person speaking urban English if one is not familiar with the particulars of its structure and [[pronunciation]]. Urban English has its roots in the [[Creole]] tongue which was spoken in the South among slaves, and hence some of the differences between it and standard English can be attributed to the adaptation of native [[African]] phonological processes and syntax to an [[English]] [[lexicon]].
==Changes in pronunciation==
* Using D for soft TH, such as "this" pronounced more like "dis."
* Develarization of final NG: "singing" becomes "singin'."
* Use of [[metathesis]]ed forms, such as "aks" for "ask." Common patterns of metathesis in Urban english include
** SC to CS at the end of a word where C denotes any [[plosive]].
** RC to CR before a [[vowel]] anywhere in a word, though this occurs less regularly.
* Some forms are non-[[rhotic]], in that R's are sometimes dropped if not occuring before a vowel. This is similar to the pronunciation of R in [[British]] English.
* Lowering of some vowels, like ING to ANG, "thing" to "thang."
[[Category:Linguistics]]
==Changes in pronunciation==
* Using D for soft TH, such as "this" pronounced more like "dis."
* Develarization of final NG: "singing" becomes "singin'."
* Use of [[metathesis]]ed forms, such as "aks" for "ask." Common patterns of metathesis in Urban english include
** SC to CS at the end of a word where C denotes any [[plosive]].
** RC to CR before a [[vowel]] anywhere in a word, though this occurs less regularly.
* Some forms are non-[[rhotic]], in that R's are sometimes dropped if not occuring before a vowel. This is similar to the pronunciation of R in [[British]] English.
* Lowering of some vowels, like ING to ANG, "thing" to "thang."
[[Category:Linguistics]]