English Dictionaries & Thesauri - Idioms & Slang, African Americans - Reference

Juba to Jive

Name: Juba to Jive
Author: Clarence Major
ISBN: 9780140513066

by Clarence Major

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Overview

Since the days of slavery, when the conversations of black slaves served as the classic example of a secret tongue, a kind of "home talk" in the sense that it was not meant for listeners beyond the nest, to the 1980s and '90s and the expressions of rap and hip-hop, the evolution of African-American slang from private to public language has irrevocably influenced American culture and speech. Illuminating this vibrant language, Juba to Jive offers a comprehensive collection of terms, from the oldest to the most modern, as well as clear straightforward definitions of words, phrases, and expressions, with many examples in context; approximate date of each term's arrival into the language; modifications of meanings as the terms entered the mainstream; cross-references to similar terms; linguistic roots, from onomatopoetic sources to rhyming jargon; and shifts in word forms and grammatical usage. Juba to Jive is the only up-to-date record of this rich, ever-evolving language born in the African-American community and permeating every aspect of our culture.

Based on scholarly investigations and common usage, this comprehensive collection of terms, from the days of slavery to the present, is the only up-to-date record of this rich, ever-evolving language born in the African-American community and permeating every aspect of our culture.