Why do some black people say "aks" and not "ask"?

ollie1004 · 27/07/13 - 22:44

Totally random, and definitely not "racism" motivated. I'm simply intrigued as to why this fairly simple word seems to get its letters put in the wrong order. Noticed this in Eastenders and PSD at the athletics last night.

Does it stem from the dialectical origins of Patwa? I'd actually love to know.

big brother 9 · 27/07/13 - 22:45

cos its street innit

Hilda_Chimanayi · 27/07/13 - 22:49

ollie1004 wrote: »

Totally random, and definitely not "racism" motivated. I'm simply intrigued as to why this fairly simple word seems to get its letters put in the wrong order. Noticed this in Eastenders and PSD at the athletics last night.

Does it stem from the dialectical origins of Patwa? I'd actually love to know.

Not all black people pronounce ask as aks. It depends on where they come from.

JessTheCat · 27/07/13 - 22:50

My OH is Jamaican and always says 'aks' - however a friend from Trinidad doesn't. I can't remember offhand if people we know from other islands say ask - maybe it's a Jamaican thing? I'll 'aks' him when he comes in

degsyhufc · 27/07/13 - 22:51

Me-Cheetah wrote: »

In Old English the origin of the word 'ask' was 'aksian' or 'askian'.

After the great vowel shift of the middle ages in England, the word morphed into the more familiar 'ask'.

However, in the West Indian colonies the old english form of 'aksian' or later 'aks' was preserved within the patois and creoles of those Islands. Similarly in slave communities in the US where patois and creoles evolved, the old pronounciations were preserved and evolved differently than in English in England. It is a language feature known as 'colonial lag.'

So, aks, arks or axe , aren't mispronounciations, they are just different pronounciations that relate back to the original Old English.

Why do black people say arks instead of ask?

Kapellmeister · 27/07/13 - 22:52

Just another example of the degradation of the English language, innit

big brother 9 · 27/07/13 - 22:52

they do sound so cool though, i iwsh i sounded like them

Caldari · 27/07/13 - 22:53

big brother 9 wrote: »

they do sound so cool though, i iwsh i sounded like them

No they don't, they sound like bloody pillocks.

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 22:55

big brother 9 wrote: »

cos its street innit

Innit Bruv

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 23:07

big brother 9 wrote: »

they do sound so cool though, i iwsh i sounded like them

aks them to teach you. :rolleyes:

urt31 · 27/07/13 - 23:11

Because the accent of many Carribean and African nations makes certain sounds more difficult to pronounce.

Some people find it hard to deal with the idea that not everybody has fully gentrified in their accent and way of speaking so instead associate it with "street" charicatures rather than its actual cause.

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 23:13

ollie1004 wrote: »

Totally random, and definitely not "racism" motivated. I'm simply intrigued as to why this fairly simple word seems to get its letters put in the wrong order. Noticed this in Eastenders and PSD at the athletics last night.

Does it stem from the dialectical origins of Patwa? I'd actually love to know.

My 19 month old nephew says it too. But he is 19 months. :rolleyes:

Jocolah · 27/07/13 - 23:18

JessTheCat wrote: »

My OH is Jamaican and always says 'aks' - however a friend from Trinidad doesn't. I can't remember offhand if people we know from other islands say ask - maybe it's a Jamaican thing? I'll 'aks' him when he comes in

It's only Jamaicans that say it - some people can't differentiate the different accents. As for that 'innit' word it's a cockney invention that sadly has been adopted by kids from all different national groups.

Pink Knight · 27/07/13 - 23:20

Why do some black people, in songs say chew instead of you ?

AnthonyC · 27/07/13 - 23:24

Dyslexia?

Stormwave UK · 27/07/13 - 23:26

ollie1004 wrote: »

Totally random, and definitely not "racism" motivated. I'm simply intrigued as to why this fairly simple word seems to get its letters put in the wrong order. Noticed this in Eastenders and PSD at the athletics last night.

Does it stem from the dialectical origins of Patwa? I'd actually love to know.

Why do people say random to things that are not even remotely random?

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 23:26

The word has started someone and been passed on. One day it will die out like old English words.

Biffo the Bear · 27/07/13 - 23:26

I hired a Jamaican girl not long back and she says 'arks'. It's quite cute though, and she's really fit, so it's not something that actually bothers me in the grand scheme of things.

jzee · 27/07/13 - 23:27

Ask said in the English manner does sound a bit like arse....

Caldari · 27/07/13 - 23:28

Biffo the Bear wrote: »

I hired a Jamaican girl not long back and she says 'arks'. It's quite cute though, and she's really fit, so it's not something that actually bothers me in the grand scheme of things.

In what context did you hire a Jamaican girl?

Rhumbatugger · 27/07/13 - 23:30

a) No phonics training.

b) Accent

Probably b, as it's not hard.

And there are a lot of accents that change certain words.

Which are then dialect words I suppose.

swaydog · 27/07/13 - 23:31

You hear it a lot said by black defendants/ plaintiffs on Judge Judy type shows

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 23:33

swaydog wrote: »

You hear it a lot said by black defendants/ plaintiffs on Judge Judy type shows

Judge Judy always corrects them!:D

SugarNSpice · 27/07/13 - 23:42

Threads like this beggars belief.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligent would realise the way some people speak and pronounce words is down to their accents and where they come from, or haven't they heard of such a thing?

If I hear a Scot say "huse" instead of "house" would I instantly ask why some white people pronounce it that way? Noooo, I would be thinking they have an accent and come from Scotland. Simples!

[Deleted User] · 27/07/13 - 23:53

I've never noticed black people saying it, I've never noticed anyone saying it for that matter.

shackfan · 27/07/13 - 23:55

SugarNSpice wrote: »

Threads like this beggars belief.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligent would realise the way some people speak and pronounce words is down to their accents and where they come from, or haven't they heard of such a thing?

If I hear a Scot say "huse" instead of "house" would I instantly ask why some white people pronounce it that way? Noooo, I would be thinking they have an accent and come from Scotland. Simples!

This. Nicely put:)

Hey there!

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Why do some black people say "aks" and not "ask"?

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