Language in the Inner City: Studies in the Black English Vernacular

Author: William Labov
ISBN: 0812210516

DOES "BLACK ENGLISH" EXIST? Studying not only the normal processes of communication in the inner city, but such art forms as the ritual insult and ritualized narrative, William Labov advances conclusive arguments for the existence of the black vernacular as a separate and independent dialect of English, with its own internal logic and grammar. His analysis of this vernacular goes beyond it to clarify the nature and processes of linguistic change in the context of a changing society.

Publisher: The University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publish Date: 1972

Subjects

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Black Resource Center (Location: 2b)