Ebonics! I promise I will tie this into STEM and Coding!
So, the other day, I was discussing education and advancement with other Black professionals. The topic of Ebonics came up. There was universal ire from the group and the proclamation that “they need to learn to speak English correctly” to improve the African-American’s lot in this world. This feeling is a common sentiment of many groups within the United States. Although it sounds so true on the surface, it may be flawed in how it is understood by African Americans…or other Americans. I offer several things that may be contributing to these feelings. Americans, in general, only speak one language, and that is English.
Additionally, we in the USA do not get to see the many variations of the English language and the other sister languages to understand how the language has continually been transforming. Lastly, the legacy of enslavement has left an unhealed wound that is tied to speaking the language of the oppressor to survive. Instead of critiquing those who speak African-American Vernacular English-AAVE (Ebonics), we should understand how English itself came to be and how we could exploit the structure of AAVE for STEM and coding. Let’s start with one of the mothers of American English, Latin.
Latin, the classical language of ancient Rome, has been influenced by several linguistic sources throughout its development. Some of the significant influences on Latin include:
Latin belongs to the Italic branch of the more prominent Indo-European language family. It evolved from the language spoken by the Italic tribes in the Italian Peninsula.
The Etruscans were an ancient civilization in Italy that predated the Romans. While the exact relationship between Etruscan and Latin is not fully understood, there are linguistic and cultural influences of Etruscan on early Latin.
Greek significantly impacted Latin, particularly in philosophy, science, and literature. Many Greek words were borrowed from Latin, and the Romans adapted Greek literary forms.
Latin was influenced by the languages spoken by neighboring tribes, such as the Sabines and Umbrians. These languages had some impact on the vocabulary and linguistic features of Latin.
The Celts were present in parts of Italy and Gaul (modern-day France), and there were interactions between Celtic-speaking peoples and the Romans. Some Celtic loanwords entered the Latin vocabulary.
Through their colony of Carthage in North Africa, the Phoenicians had contact with the Romans. Latin borrowed some words from Punic, the language of Carthage.
The Osco-Umbrian languages were spoken in central and southern Italy. Being in close geographical proximity, Latin was influenced to some extent by these languages.
Archaic and Regional Italic Dialects:
Before the standardization of Latin, there were various regional dialects and variations. Latin absorbed elements from these regional dialects as it became more standardized.
Each of these groups would have certainly seen these additions and changes as a corruption of the area’s primary language. One line of these changes would form into Old French, where our English line gets nearly half its words.
Old French, spoken from the 9th to the 14th centuries, was heavily influenced by several languages. Here are some of the vital linguistic influences on Old French:
Latin was the Roman Empire’s language, and it profoundly impacted Old French. Many words and grammatical structures in Old French have Latin roots due to the Roman occupation of Gaul (modern-day France) from the 1st century BCE to the 5th century CE.
The Franks were a Germanic tribe that played a significant role in the history of France. The Frankish language, a Germanic language, contributed vocabulary and some linguistic features to Old French.
The Celtic population in Gaul before the Roman conquest also left some traces in Old French. Specific place names and cultural elements have Celtic origins.
The Vikings, who were of Norse origin, invaded parts of France during the Viking Age. As a result, Old Norse impacted the vocabulary of Old French, particularly in areas with significant Norse influence.
During the medieval period, there was contact with Arabic-speaking cultures, primarily through trade and the Crusades. This led to the adoption of some Arabic words into Old French, particularly in science, mathematics, and philosophy.
The language spoken in the south of France, known as Occitan or Provencal, influenced the troubadour poetry of the medieval period, contributing to the development of lyric poetry in Old French.
These influences shaped the linguistic landscape of Old French and contributed to its unique character. Over time, Old French evolved into Middle French, eventually transforming into the modern French language spoken today. A part of this French branch, carried by the Normans, would linguistically reshape the British Isle.
Old French (9th to 14th century):
After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, French became the ruling class’s language, influencing English vocabulary significantly. English borrowed many words related to government, law, arts, and cuisine from Old French during this period.
Middle English (14th to 17th century):
The Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453) between England and France impacted the English language. English regained its status as the ruling class’s language, but French influence persisted in vocabulary.
Early Modern English (17th century):
The Renaissance and the Enlightenment brought a surge in learning and scholarship. English absorbed many words directly from Latin and Greek and indirectly through French.
Colonial Period and American English:
Early English settlers brought their language to North America, but contact with Native American languages, as well as African languages through the slave trade, influenced vocabulary. In the Southern United States, contact with French-speaking communities and the influence of African-American Vernacular English (Ebonics) contributed to linguistic diversity.
Expansion Westward and Interactions:
As English speakers expanded westward, interactions with various linguistic communities (Spanish, Native American languages, etc.) contributed to regional dialects.
Industrialization and Globalization:
Industrialization and globalization in the 19th and 20th centuries led to an influx of words from various languages into English, reflecting technological and cultural changes.
Modern English and Global Influence:
Influenced by regional dialects and cultural diversity, American English developed its distinct characteristics.
Today, English is a global language with influences from various cultures and languages worldwide.
The above-mentioned was a branch of English, with its many influences going through another change amongst enslaved Africans. Ebonics, also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE), has been influenced by various linguistic sources throughout its development. It’s important to note that Ebonics is a legitimate and systematic variety of English spoken by some African Americans, and it has its own set of grammatical rules and linguistic features. Some of the linguistic influences on Ebonics include:
West and Central African Languages:
During the era of the transatlantic slave trade, Africans brought to the Americas spoke a variety of West/Central African languages. Elements of these languages, including grammatical structures and vocabulary, have influenced Ebonics.
Ebonics has been significantly influenced by the regional dialects of the Southern United States, where a large population of African Americans lived during and after slavery. This influence can be seen in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical features.
In some cases, contact with pidgin and Creole languages in the Caribbean and other parts of the Americas has influenced the development of Ebonics. These languages often developed to communicate among people from different linguistic backgrounds.
Gullah is a Creole language spoken by African Americans in the Sea Islands and coastal regions of the Southern United States. It has had an impact on the linguistic features of Ebonics.
African American Musical and Cultural Influences:
The rich cultural heritage of African Americans, including music genres such as blues, jazz, and hip-hop, has contributed to the development of distinct linguistic features in Ebonics. This influence can be seen in the vocabulary and expressions used in these cultural forms.
Ebonics has been shaped by the linguistic practices of urban and street culture, particularly in African-American communities. This includes the use of slang, code-switching, and distinctive pronunciation patterns. This pattern is a constant pattern seen amongst other languages and has been noted throughout the development of English.
We should recognize that Ebonics is not a “broken” or “corrupted” form of English; it is a legitimate and systematic linguistic variety with its own rules and patterns. One should argue for the learning of AAVE and Standard American English. This multilingual approach could enrich the speaker even more. Thus, this brings me to my actual nerd-based point. This multilingual could aid in our coding ability and computational thinking.
Speaking a second or third language can enhance coding abilities and computational thinking. Consider the following points to why and how have multiple languages can help improve your abilities:
Learning multiple languages enhances cognitive flexibility. This can benefit coding, as it requires switching between different syntaxes, structures, and programming paradigms.
Proficient in multiple languages enhances problem-solving skills. Different languages offer different approaches to problem-solving, and exposure to varied solutions can broaden one’s perspective.
Communication and Collaboration:
Knowing multiple languages can facilitate communication and collaboration in a global programming environment. It can be an asset when working with international teams or contributing to open-source projects.
Understanding Algorithmic Concepts:
Learning multiple languages exposes individuals to different ways of expressing algorithmic concepts. This diversity can deepen the understanding of fundamental principles.
Knowing multiple languages makes it easier to pick up new languages. This adaptability can be valuable in a field where technologies and languages evolve rapidly.
Knowing multiple languages can foster cultural sensitivity, which is valuable when developing applications for diverse user bases. This is extremely important when fighting against bias in ML and AI.
Programming Paradigm Exposure:
Different languages often emphasize different programming paradigms (e.g., procedural, object-oriented, functional). Exposure to multiple paradigms enhances one’s understanding of various programming approaches.
Speaking a second or third language can bring valuable cognitive and cultural benefits to coding and computational thinking. We no longer have to consider AAVE as a social advancement hindrance or marker for low intelligence. It falls in line with the many other language evolutions that have come before. Maybe…just maybe, we will create a coding language based on AAVE…the Gullah line, of course. I will get us started…
As an open project I have posted the code as an article on Medium and will be publishing it on open source Git soon. Watch the space!
# Hello Africa in AAVEcode
speak = “E dey Africa”
chop(speak)
# Adding two sets of numbers to equal 1619
dem1 = [400, 200, 1000]
dem2 = [10, 5, 604]
finish = add_dems(dems1, dems2) print(finish)
In this fictional example:
speak is a variable containing the string “Hello Africa.”
chop() is a function that outputs a message.
dem1 and dem2 are two sets of numbers.
add_dems() is a function that takes two sets of numbers and returns their sum.
I hope this piece spurred your mind to rethink a critical discussion in our community. As a great poet said, “Let’s talk about time travelin’, rhyme javelin Somethin’ mind unravelin’” – Andre 3000
