[Ads-l] "Crying Wolof"

Wed Mar 9 14:24:33 UTC 2016

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Jesse Sheidlower
ADS-L

On Wed, Mar 09, 2016 at 12:41:40PM +0100, Z Rice wrote:
> I'd like to know to how to type here without losing actual characters.
> 
> AAV
> bag:
> 1) habit; custom tradition; way of life; something one does habitually;
> something ONE ENJOYS
> 2) one's own skill; talent, or area of expertise; one's job; one's THING
> (in the song that you mention, he's saying that he has a new "thing"...and
> he mentions several trendy dances or "new things" in the song. However, I
> do not rely on songs to dig my own language...it is my birthright, and I
> understand it naturally.)
> 
> Wolof
> ba:x habit; custom; tradition; a traditionally done thing (Wolof standard
> orthography: baax g-)
> ba:xo: to possess one's own gift; to have (something) as a customary
> activity or practice (Wolof standard orthography: baaxoo)
> (the list serve strangely enough doesn't allow me to properly type the IPA
> characters, but you can see it in the link that I initially provided to the
> study to see the proper IPA spelling)
> 
> I don't like to rely on dictionaries to dig my own language, however,
> Mahmoud El-Kati, a renowned native African-American historian and professor
> from Minnesota published The Hiptionary. In this book, he defines "bag" as
> follows:
> 
> the thing(s) that you do, value, or believe; things one values or lives by;
> part of your personality
> 
> Let's compare that with Wolof:
> 
> Wolof:  (again, the list serve doesn't allow me to use the IPA symbols. You
> can see it properly in my study.)
> mba:xE:l   a moral value...ultimately from Wolof ba:x habit; custom;
> tradition; a traditionally done thing; (Wolof standard orhtography: baax
> g-)
> 
> Cf. Wolof ba:x 'morals (of a nation)' (Wolof standard orthography: baax y-)
> 
> This is why "bag" also means for us, "a moral code" or "value"
> 
> As I mentioned earlier, the idea that AAV is mutually intelligible with
> so-called Standard English (an idea strongly promoted by linguist John
> McWhorter) is a myth. This exchange that we're having is simple enough to
> illustrate that the two languages are NOT necassarily mutually
> intelligible, requiring code-switching on the part of native
> African-Americans speakers of the language to be fully and properly
> understood.
> 
> Here's to hoping that this formatting will come through in tact.
> 
> On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 11:08 AM, Margaret Lee <
> 0000006730deb3bf-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> 
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Margaret Lee <mlee303 at YAHOO.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "Crying Wolof"
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > James Brown's 1965 hit, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," refers to learning
> > ne=
> > w dances.Much of my research involves the study of African American
> > English=
> > , especially its=C2=A0impact on mainstream American English and popular
> > cul=
> > ture.
> >
> > --Margaret Lee
> >
> > =20
> >       From: Z Rice <zrice3714 at GMAIL.COM>
> >  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=20
> >  Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 3:05 PM
> >  Subject: Re: "Crying Wolof"
> >   =20
> > Thank you for letting me know.
> >
> > The OED provides the following reasoning for the AAV term "bag": *Meaning
> > "person's area of interest or expertise" is 1964, from African-American
> > vernacular...probably via notion of putting something in a bag."*
> >
> > I offer the following definition (as a native speaker) and the following
> > etymologies as a researcher:
> >
> > *bag* *n* one's own quality; one's own skill; one's own talent; one's own
> > gift; one's specialty; one's own area of expertise; one's job; one's
> > "thing"; a part of one's personality or make-up. [African origin: Wolof
> > *ba=CB=90x=C9=94=CB=90* 'to possess one's own quality or gift' (DFW); 'to
> > h=
> > ave (something)
> > as a customary activity or practice' (JLD) (Wolof standard orthography:
> > *baaxoo*) *=E2=99=A2* ultimately* from* Wolof *ba=CB=90x* 'habit';
> > 'custom'=
> > ;
> > 'tradition'; 'a traditionally done thing' (Wolof standard orthography:
> > *baax** g-*); *Cf.* Wolof *fekka baxa* 'special'; 'specially'; *ku fekka
> > baax* 'one who has a specialty'; *m=C3=B2o ko fekka baax* 'It is his/her
> > specialty' (DFW)
> >
> >
> > I'd like to see the field of research into AAV improved, taken more
> > seriously, and the "Cry Wolof" myth put to rest once and for all.
> >
> > Please note: If the formatting is lost via the mailing list server, one can
> > simply go to the Preview document to find the original:
> >
> > https://www.scribd.com/doc/303169199/Preview-The-Myth-of-Cry-Wolof-and-the-=
> > Case-for-Wolof-Etymologies#page=3D8
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 7:24 PM, Salikoko S. Mufwene <
> > s-mufwene at uchicago.edu=
> > >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.
> > =
> > EDU>
> > > Poster:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 "Salikoko S. Mufwene" <
> > s-mufwene at UCHICAGO.EDU=
> > >
> > > Subject:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Re: "Crying Wolof"
> > >
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> > ------
> > >
> > > I had no problem with the original link.
> > >
> > > Sali.
> > >
> > > On 3/8/2016 10:23 AM, Z Rice wrote:
> > > > Thanks, Mark; could you please let me know which link is not working
> > fo=
> > r
> > > > you? I tried all of them, btw, and they work for me. Let me know which
> > > link
> > > > isn't functioning for you and I'll look into it. Thanks.
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 5:19 PM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > >> -----------------------
> > > >> Sender:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.U
> > =
> > GA.EDU>
> > > >> Poster:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
> > > >> Subject:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Re: "Crying Wolof"
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> > ------
> > > >>
> > > >> Clicking on that link brings up
> > > >>
> > > >> You are not allowed to view this document.
> > > >> Sorry, we can't display this document.
> > > >>
> > > >> Mark Mandel
> > > >>
> > > >> On Mar 8, 2016 9:20 AM, "Z Rice" <zrice3714 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >>> Good Morning to All,
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I recently published a critique on the myth of "Crying Wolof" and a
> > > study
> > > >>> on Wolof retentions or "Wolofisms" in the United States. This study
> > > >>> includes the actual origin of 'hip', along with 'shuck', 'dig' and
> > mu=
> > ch
> > > >>> more.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I've made a special document available that allows readers to access
> > =
> > a
> > > >>> preview of the study. Readers can access the preview document by
> > > clicking
> > > >>> the following link:
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>
> > >
> > https://www.scribd.com/doc/303169199/Preview-The-Myth-of-Cry-Wolof-and-th=
> >
> > e-Case-for-Wolof-Etymologies?secret_password=3Deg99qbL55WOLpO0S8bk7#fullscr=
> > een=3D1
> > > >>
> > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org/
> > > >>
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org/
> > >
> > > --
> > > **********************************************************
> > > Salikoko S. Mufwene=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=
> > =A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 s-mufwene at uchicago.edu
> > > The Frank J. McLoraine Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics and
> > > the College
> > > Professor, Committee on Evolutionary Biology
> > > Professor, Committee on the Conceptual & Historical Studies of Science
> > > University of Chicago=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0
> > =C2=
> > =A0 =C2=A0 773-702-8531; FAX 773-834-0924
> > > Department of Linguistics
> > > 1115 East 58th Street
> > > Chicago, IL 60637, USA
> > > http://mufwene.uchicago.edu/
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> >
> >   =20
> >
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> >
> 
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