Heard on The Judges: sE "there" > BE "it"

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

This is not a particularly AAVE construction. It is a Southernism, as Juanita
Williamson pointed   out around 1970.

It is not exactly news to anyone with even an elementary understanding of
American dialects that a "Thirty-ish, black, male speaker" would say this. It
would only be slightly less interesting to note that such a speaker said "y'all"
rather than "you," or "It looks like you done had a haircut!"


In a message dated 5/8/08 12:02:35 PM, hwgray at GMAIL.COM writes:


> Cuban-American Judge Milian:
>
> "_There was_ a problem the second time, too?"
>
> Thirty-ish, black, male speaker:
>
> "_It was_, ma'am."
>
>
> -Wilson
>




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