Words like “rizz,” “cap,” “periodt,” and “sus” have all become embedded into Gen Z vernacular. So much so that these terms have been dubbed as “Gen Z slang.”
But many of these terms did not originate with the youth, or at least not generally. They are derived from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and spread into wider, mainstream vernacular, sparking debate about whether the popularization is appreciation or appropriation.
How does AAVE become popularized?
The AAVE-to-slang pipeline starts in Black communities, where words or phrases originate to better express certain feelings or situations. These words and phrases are then brought out of their original context by outgroup members who hear them and use them, often in imitation, eventually stripping words of their cultural connotation.
This process is expedited by media, namely Black Twitter and “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” where people see, hear, and pick up phrases in comment sections or clips without context, sometimes resulting in a misinterpretation of the phrase as it gains traction.
An example of this is the term “woke,” now villainized by politicians, which started as a call to action in Black communities.
What other words came from this pipeline?
You would be hard-pressed to open a comment section and not find AAVE. Popularized terms “slay,” “go off,” “lit,” “dragged,” “clap back,” “tweak,” “crash out,” “bussin,” and “tea” all originated in Black communities.
What are the repercussions?
When the context and linguistic innovation of Black communities are lost or ignored, indexical bleaching occurs, which strips words of their original meaning as they become widespread. This not only steals cultural items but dismisses the deep discriminatory and oppressive context.
The majority of online discourse surrounding the assimilation of AAVE expresses frustration with the appropriation and mislabeling of terms originating in Black communities.
The commodification of AAVE contributes to Black erasure. Social media marketers throw around these terms on social media, where brands use AAVE without context or acknowledgement of the Black origins.
In a Medium article, Natacha, an advertising professional, argues that “This is not a simple case of ‘borrowing’ language; it is a deliberate exploitation that removes Black people from the narrative of our own culture, turning something that is intrinsically ours into a marketing tool for profit.”
Author Chloe Davis agrees that the “violation of the intellectual and artistic property of a culture… takes the styles and traditions (i.e., language, fashion, dance) of a marginalized community without permission or even acknowledgment of their origins,” and “erases heritage and creates false historic interpretations.”
It is also important to note the double standard that appropriated slang carries. Often, AAVE is stigmatized as unprofessional when used by Black people, but once mainstreamed, the same term becomes marketable.
How non-Black people can respect AAVE
Before using a new slang term, research the origins. Next, Sierra Nicole Malbroux, an activist and educator, recommends asking the following questions:
- Is it being commercialized for financial gain?
- Is the usage performative or tokenizing?
- Are you in proximity to the culture that originated the terms?
- Are you using the language to “level up” or earn yourself credibility?
Most of all, she recommends remaining conscious of the harms of appropriation of AAVE has on the Black community.