[Afamlanguage] Use of the n-word and influence of AAVE outside the US

[SIEGEL, Jason]

Hi all,

I am preparing a course on the social and linguistic history of the Caribbean, and I'm interested in having my students look at how the n-word developed here, and whether its use in Caribbean black communities has been influenced by its use in AAVE. I am told that, for example, in Antigua it used to be used as a synonym for 'person' (as it is in many French-based creoles). An example given to me by an Antiguan was that his mother complained that the island was not ready for tourists by saying "And what are the white niggas gonna think when they get off the boat?" I'd like to corroborate this story with actual data, beyond the uses and compounds described in the Dictionary of Caribbean Usage (Allsopp 1996) and similar dictionaries. I'd also be interested in studies about the influence of AAVE or African American culture in the US on black communities outside the US. Is anyone familiar with studies about these or anything like these that I could consult?

Thank you in advance for any guidance that you can provide.

Sincerely,

Jason F. Siegel, Ph.D.
Junior Research Fellow in Lexicography
Director, Centre for Caribbean Lexicography
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
St. Michael
Barbados
jason.siegel at cavehill.uwi.edu<mailto:jason.siegel at cavehill.uwi.edu>
1-246-417-4468