ramoss writes
quote:
The dialect in the southern states in the rural areas that are predominately black often is influenced by the lingquistic patterns of
africa.
After centuries of white influence and no contact with Mother Africa?
quote:
I would say that it the grammar patterns do exist, it just isn't the typical eurpopean/english patterns.
Some of my friends told me that what I heard was the typical street slangs of those areas. Even after I got down word by word what they were saying, I still couldn't make out what they were trying to say.
Funny story. I was in a bar one time in chatennooga (sp?) tennessee. There was this man that walked in and started talking with his friend. He was talking really really slowly. I tried to catch every word he was saying and I still couldn't understand what he said. So, I tapped on the shoulder of the guy next to me and ask him what that man just said, and the guy started telling me ....... Again, whatever it was it sounded like the man that just talked moments ago.
It amazes me that we "northerners" can't understand "them" but for some reason they can understand us pretty well. Why do you suppose that is?