Black English

or black Eng·lish

[ blak ing-glish, or, often, -lish ]

noun

1. African American Vernacular English ( def ).
2. any of a variety of dialects of English or English-based pidgins and creoles associated with and used by some Black people.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Black English¹

First recorded in 1730–35

Example Sentences

“That is the best of both worlds, because we want to show how Black English is part of the larger of Englishes, as they say, spoken around the world,” he said.

From Seattle Times

Linguists are unsure of how Black English came about, but they believe it might have originated from West African or Creole languages.

From Washington Post

A form of both comfort and contention in the Black community, Black English has always had the capability to unite and divide.

From Seattle Times

Jason Sudeikis showed up to the “Ted Lasso” Season 2 premiere in a shirt with the names of three Black English soccer players who endured racist abuse online.

From Los Angeles Times

Prince William spoke out Monday on Twitter about the violent, racist insults hurled at three Black English soccer players after their team was defeated at the Euro Championship final.

From Los Angeles Times