It appears that the present-day form of African American English is not the inheritance of the period of slavery, but the creation of the second half of the 20th century.
More Quotes from William Labov:
I am now completing research supported by NSF and NEH that is mapping changes in the English language through all of North America, for both mainstream and minority communities.William Labov
Well, American dialects have been studied for a hundred years or so.
William Labov
But unlike European countries, America has never finished a map of the United States, only the eastern United States is covered and a few spots here and there.
William Labov
We focus upon pairs of words very often which are the same in some areas and different in other areas.
William Labov
And instead of getting a pepper-and-salt effect, we find very clear and sharp divisions between the dialects of the United States, which are getting more different from each other as time goes on.
William Labov
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Based on Topics: English Quotes, Slavery QuotesBased on Keywords: present-day
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