Why do black people say arks instead of ask?

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 02:54

Always bothered me, be it on tv, film or out in general, they always miss pronounce the word Ask. Anybody know why this is?

annette kurten · 07/02/13 - 02:57

dialect.

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 02:58

Never heard it in the UK but have seen some do it in the US, why, I don't know.

mad_will123 · 07/02/13 - 02:58

Gevans81 wrote: »

Always bothered me, be it on tv, film or out in general, they always miss pronounce the word Ask. Anybody know why this is?

Not sure mate, but I've heard more white people say it than I have black.
jagetmebruv?

mickmars · 07/02/13 - 02:59

I have heard this a million times in East London..."Just arks him" etc..

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 03:01

I can't think of any occasion where I've heard anybody, black or white, say "arks"

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 03:02

Never met a black man who has said that tbh. You should see how indians say Immediately say it like immigately

irishguy · 07/02/13 - 03:03

wombat18 wrote: »

I can't think of any occasion where I've heard anybody, black or white, say "arks"

Me neither. I think someone should post a Youtube clip of this pronounciation

Si_Crewe · 07/02/13 - 03:04

I'm told it originally happens simply because people of some nationalities can't wrap their heads around certain combinations of letters, in much the same way that we might struggle to pronounce a Thai or Chinese word.

Course, I'd be willing to be that there's also a helluva lot of people who've adopted it as an affectation, much like the whole "jafaican" thing.

DrFlowDemand · 07/02/13 - 03:09

I've only known one person who said arks and they were white, brought up in a middle class family but once he turned about 15 started talking with a fake patois type accent.

paulbrock · 07/02/13 - 03:18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLKlgLG6jfI

irishguy · 07/02/13 - 03:24

paulbrock wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLKlgLG6jfI

Cheers... good to hear an example... and can't say I've ever heard anyone say that.... weird pronounciation!

paulbrock · 07/02/13 - 03:26

irishguy wrote: »

Cheers... good to hear an example... and can't say I've ever heard anyone say that.... weird pronounciation!

Fatboy on Eastenders is a classic example of someone saying it. I think Denise's sister does as well.

irishguy · 07/02/13 - 03:31

paulbrock wrote: »

Fatboy on Eastenders is a classic example of someone saying it. I think Denise's sister does as well.

Not a show I watch... but maybe now that I've heard it once, I'll pick up on it more often.... although I don't think its reached this side of the Irish sea yet

Si_Crewe · 07/02/13 - 03:38

FWIW, one of the running gags in Futurama was that the word "aks" has replaced the word "ask" in the year 3,000 and nobody can understand Fry when he uses the word "ask".

If nothing else, that should tell us that it's not a new thing, if they decided to make a joke of it for Futurama.

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 04:02

Cheers for the replies people, makes very interesting reading.

Caldari · 07/02/13 - 05:43

None of my friends of the black persuasion, either here or in the US, have ever used this ridiculous colloquialism when speaking to me. I've spent time in the States living with, and going out with, my friends over there and not once have I heard this term uttered outside of a Jerry Springer show.

GetFrodo · 07/02/13 - 06:19

I had a (white) teacher who used to pronounce "and" as "adne". Most peculiar.

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 06:32

Most of them heard someone else say it

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 06:47

Might I suggest that you go directly up to a group of black youths and arks them that exact question?

Sex · 07/02/13 - 07:07

paulbrock wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLKlgLG6jfI

Sat through the whole of it was really funny...

:D:D

"I know bear mans Innit"

...

[Deleted User] · 07/02/13 - 07:20

I don't.

Glowbot · 07/02/13 - 07:22

Gevans81 wrote: »

Cheers for the replies people, makes very interesting reading.

The history of Ebonics is pretty interesting, there was a move to get it recognised as a language but people thought it would make black Americans even more separate from whites in schools.

Victoria Sponge · 07/02/13 - 07:43

A lot of young black people say 'arks' round where in live in South East London. Some of the not so young people say it like that also. I'm not going to lie, I find it very irritating.

Andrue · 07/02/13 - 08:01

I've not heard 'arks' but 'axe' seems very common amongst the American poor. I was watching something last night on TV and a woman said she couldn't find her phone so she 'axed' her boyfriend. I thought - that's a bit of an overreaction and a helluva thing to admit to the police who had only stopped her for speeding

Victoria Sponge wrote: »

A lot of young black people say 'arks' round where in live in South East London. Some of the not so young people say it like that also. I'm not going to lie, I find it very irritating.

That and 'My baby mother'. What's wrong with 'The mother of my child'?

Addisonian · 07/02/13 - 08:09

Can't say I've ever heard anyone say this.

Hey there!

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Why do black people say arks instead of ask?

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