A instead of ER (UNCLASSIFIED)
Laurence Horn
laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Tue Apr 22 16:34:00 UTC 2008
At 11:22 AM -0500 4/22/08, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society
>> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
>> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 6:03 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: A instead of ER
>>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>> Subject: Re: A instead of ER
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>> -----------------
>>
>> There is an additional (or more comprehensive) possibility.
>> Hiphop lyrics and, hence, criticism, frequently use final {a}
>> in place of orthographic {er} to stress the "r-lessness" of
>> much urban AAVE. Thus, e.g., "playa" for "player," "hata"
>> for "hater."
>>
>> The point of the slogan may be that this development
>> somehow emphasizes "African-Americanness" in a positive way.
>>
>> Another possibility: maybe whites are allowed to write
>> "nigga" in contexts where racist motivation is obviously out
>> of the question - as it would/should be in mainstream hiphop
>> criticism. If I may once again allude to _Idiocracy_, just
>> before he starts the time experiment, white "Officer" Collins
>> addresses both subjects (played by Luke Wilson and Maya
>> Rudolph)
>
>Formerly known as "Mayer Rudolph"
Not to be confused with hizzonah, a.k.a. Mayor Rudolph. (the former
consensus shoo-in Republican presidential candidate).
LH
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