"An important milestone in our understanding of the richness and sophistication of language and language use among Black Americans."
Talkin and Testifyin
The Language of Black America
By Geneva Smitherman
Paper - 9780814318058
Price: $22.95s
Published 1977
Pages: 298
Subjects: Africana Studies: Language and Culture
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Description
In addition to defining Black English by its distinctive structure and special lexicon, Smitherman argues that the Black dialect is set apart from traditional English by a rhetorical style which reflects its African origins.
Published by Wayne State University Press
Reviews
"An important milestone in our understanding of the richness and sophistication of language and language use among Black Americans."
— Orlando L. Taylor, Acting Dean, School of Communications, Howard University
"A full view of the Afro-Caribbean history that illuminates the special evolution of the Black Vernacular in America."
— William Labov, Professor of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania