Ax vs Ask

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid (raised in the really, very, deep South) my best friend said "ax" and "zink" instead of sink. I always corrected her (this was before I was 10).

As for the teacher, "off with her head''!

Kidding.

I moved North and got lots of people telling me that I don't say things right like doesn't = duhn't. I can't pronounce these word cement or nuclear. So I avoid using them. Seriously, with nuclear especially, i don't even hear the difference between correct and incorrect.

[Anonymous]

The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

Or, if someone mispronounces a routinely used word, does that impact your opinion of them? For me, it does, regardless of race. For example, when a certain former president always said "noo-cyoo-lar" it negatively affected my opinion of him. Why shouldn't that same reasoning apply to "ax"?

(And yes, I know, Supreme DCUM Linguist, it's not REALLY a mispronunciation, Ebonics is a true dialect, blah, blah, blah. Just wanted to save you the time you'd spend typing your indignant respnse.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

Or, if someone mispronounces a routinely used word, does that impact your opinion of them? For me, it does, regardless of race. For example, when a certain former president always said "noo-cyoo-lar" it negatively affected my opinion of him. Why shouldn't that same reasoning apply to "ax"?

(And yes, I know, Supreme DCUM Linguist, it's not REALLY a mispronunciation, Ebonics is a true dialect, blah, blah, blah. Just wanted to save you the time you'd spend typing your indignant respnse.)

You mean Jimmy Carter? That bugs the hell out of me, too. You'd think a Naval midshipman who actually served on a nuclear submarine would have at least learned to pronounce it correctly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

Or, if someone mispronounces a routinely used word, does that impact your opinion of them? For me, it does, regardless of race. For example, when a certain former president always said "noo-cyoo-lar" it negatively affected my opinion of him. Why shouldn't that same reasoning apply to "ax"?

(And yes, I know, Supreme DCUM Linguist, it's not REALLY a mispronunciation, Ebonics is a true dialect, blah, blah, blah. Just wanted to save you the time you'd spend typing your indignant respnse.)

No, my response would have said AAVE (African American Vernacular English) instead of Ebonics, but I know you used the word for a certain effect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

Or, if someone mispronounces a routinely used word, does that impact your opinion of them? For me, it does, regardless of race. For example, when a certain former president always said "noo-cyoo-lar" it negatively affected my opinion of him. Why shouldn't that same reasoning apply to "ax"?

(And yes, I know, Supreme DCUM Linguist, it's not REALLY a mispronunciation, Ebonics is a true dialect, blah, blah, blah. Just wanted to save you the time you'd spend typing your indignant respnse.)

Hey dumbass, it's used VERY frequently in the rust belt, including where I grew up in PA (in an all white neighborhood. Hell, all-white county, pretty much). It's not just present in "ebonics"; the word features in many dialects.

And for those who are going on and on about "proper English," you don't sound educated -- quite the contrary, in fact. I have a grad degree in linguistics, and much like the PP waaaay at the beginning of the thread mentioned, /aks/ is a perfectly legitimate pronunciation for "ask." I'm sorry if you don't like that perfectly valid dialects of modern English exist, and I'm sorry if you've made up your mind to follow only proscriptive grammar rules, but "proper English" is a myth. Whatever the dominant socioeconomic class in a given region or at a given time determines is "proper" does not make it so. Other forms of expression and pronunciation have just as much right to exist and be used as the dialect of American English you choose to speak.

Now, the dialect of English your DC speaks can and does indicate the regional or cultural influences they experience. So, if you'd prefer to have them pronounce it /ask/, just tell your child so. No need to shit all over anyone else's dialect and pretend their way of speaking (and their background) is for some reason wholesale inferior to yours.

[Anonymous]

I have a grad degree in linguistics, and much like the PP waaaay at the beginning of the thread mentioned, /aks/ is a perfectly legitimate pronunciation for "ask."

I think that's super-duper awesome that you believe this. Please teach your child to speak this way as well--my kid is going to be competing with yours in the work world, and can use all the help he can get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have a grad degree in linguistics, and much like the PP waaaay at the beginning of the thread mentioned, /aks/ is a perfectly legitimate pronunciation for "ask."

I think that's super-duper awesome that you believe this. Please teach your child to speak this way as well--my kid is going to be competing with yours in the work world, and can use all the help he can get.

I am not the PP you quoted, but this response is not only really lame, but makes you sound childish and unintelligent. Unless the apple fell far from the tree, I don't think your child will be much competition for anybody.

[Anonymous]

The linguists are worse than the statisticians. And the lawyers are looking better and better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question OP's post truly raises is distilled down to this - if your white or non-AA child "sounds black," should you be concerned and should you try to do something about it. I think all this talk about whether or not there are truly pockets in the south where the word "ax" is routinely used when they mean "ask," is not relevant for a DCUM discussion (emphasis on "DC"). The reality is that at least in the DC area, this use/pronounciation tick is associated with AA.

Or, if someone mispronounces a routinely used word, does that impact your opinion of them? For me, it does, regardless of race. For example, when a certain former president always said "noo-cyoo-lar" it negatively affected my opinion of him. Why shouldn't that same reasoning apply to "ax"?

(And yes, I know, Supreme DCUM Linguist, it's not REALLY a mispronunciation, Ebonics is a true dialect, blah, blah, blah. Just wanted to save you the time you'd spend typing your indignant respnse.)

Hey dumbass, it's used VERY frequently in the rust belt, including where I grew up in PA (in an all white neighborhood. Hell, all-white county, pretty much). It's not just present in "ebonics"; the word features in many dialects.

And for those who are going on and on about "proper English," you don't sound educated -- quite the contrary, in fact. I have a grad degree in linguistics, and much like the PP waaaay at the beginning of the thread mentioned, /aks/ is a perfectly legitimate pronunciation for "ask." I'm sorry if you don't like that perfectly valid dialects of modern English exist, and I'm sorry if you've made up your mind to follow only proscriptive grammar rules, but "proper English" is a myth. Whatever the dominant socioeconomic class in a given region or at a given time determines is "proper" does not make it so. Other forms of expression and pronunciation have just as much right to exist and be used as the dialect of American English you choose to speak.

Now, the dialect of English your DC speaks can and does indicate the regional or cultural influences they experience. So, if you'd prefer to have them pronounce it /ask/, just tell your child so. No need to shit all over anyone else's dialect and pretend their way of speaking (and their background) is for some reason wholesale inferior to yours.

Have you thought about putting down the bottle? For someone with a graduate degree in linguistics you are disappointingly unable to express yourself without vulgarity. With your specialized, advanced education, surely you are aware of the impression this leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Have you thought about putting down the bottle? For someone with a graduate degree in linguistics you are disappointingly unable to express yourself without vulgarity. With your specialized, advanced education, surely you are aware of the impression this leaves.

Have you thought of picking up a book? You are disappointingly unable to express yourself without making cheap, unfunny, irrelevant references to alcoholism.

Will those who deny the legitimacy of AAVE please elect a better spokesperson than 21:17, 17:19, and 16:54? These three are just showing themselves to be the dumbasses 15:52 was talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Have you thought about putting down the bottle? For someone with a graduate degree in linguistics you are disappointingly unable to express yourself without vulgarity. With your specialized, advanced education, surely you are aware of the impression this leaves.

Have you thought of picking up a book? You are disappointingly unable to express yourself without making cheap, unfunny, irrelevant references to alcoholism.

Will those who deny the legitimacy of AAVE please elect a better spokesperson than 21:17, 17:19, and 16:54? These three are just showing themselves to be the dumbasses 15:52 was talking about.

Knock that boulder off your shoulder, it's disfiguring you.

If you can't express yourself without being crude? Then you can't expect those of us who can, to have much in the way of respect for what you say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, I think improper English should not be tolerated in an educator and she should be told that ax is wrong, so she won't continue to do it. It would be easy enough for her to change it. Otherwise, she's passing on bad usage to a generation of kids. What's the good in that?

Would you also not tell someone they had spinach in their teeth or had TP hanging out of their pants?

This!

[Anonymous]

It's not just present in "ebonics"; the word features in many dialects.

Really? Which ones?

[Anonymous]

Am I the only AA on this board who is intellectually honest enough to admit that to say "ax" when you mean "ask" is grammatically incorrect, and fair or unfair, is a burden in mainstream society.