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5. Pure Semantics
Although the relationship between sentence structure and sentence meaning are very close, still there are some things that can be separated between
them especially when the expressions of Black English are analyzed based on the language used which most of them are slang words.
Since this research analyzes Black English used in Afro-American movies, it can be assured that the existence of slang words becomes one of its unique
characteristics. As found in the sample movies, here are some words detected as slang words The definitions of the words are taken from Collins English and
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionaries and translated based on the context in the movies:
Table 4. 2.
Screw To have sexual intercourse with someone
[mm]
You ain’t screwing nothing Bad Boys I Putitback
To return to its former place
[nn]
Putitback in. Bad Boys I Chimp
informal term chimpanzee
[oo]
Got me climbing like a chimp. Bad Boys I Hump
To have sexual intercourse with someone
[pp]
So this look like we having one big orgy here, and ain’t nobody humping. Bad Boys I
Busted To arrest, to raid, to search police term
[qq]
The only reason why I ain’t busted your ass.. Rush Hour I Tripping
Detect someone in a mistake or inconsistency, experience hallucinations induced by taking a psychedelic drug, especially
LSD.
[rr]
Why you tripping, man? Bad Boys II Chilly Unfriendly,
without warmth
[ss]
I’m chilly a what? Rush Hour I Punk
A worthless person, criminal
[tt]
He was killed making a routine traffic stop in daylight by some punk who didn’t want no ticket when his partner was to
get out of the car and back him up, he didn’t. Rush Hour I
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Note: The use of these slang words can be found in appendices
Riffraff Undesirables situation people
[uu]
The first thing we gotta do is clear out this riffraff. Rush Hour I
Titties Women’s breast, foolish or ineffectual persons, young women
[vv]
Get them titties outta here. Rush Hour I Buck wild A wild male deer or antelope, make somebody become more
cheerful
[ww]
I’m gonna get buck wild. Rush Hour I Youse
Refers to more than one person including the person or persons addressed but not including the speaker
[xx]
It’s the best I can do to all of youse. Bad Boys II Dumb Stupid
[yy]
I’m just gonna go tell him right now, because this is dumb. Bad Boys II
Whupped Beat, thrash derives from ‘whipped’
[zz]
You ready to go back to the station, get our asses whupped? Bad Boys II
Balls To be rendered powerless, testicles.
[aaa]
Talk polite in front of my little bonbon or I’m gonna chop your balls off. Bad Boys II
Flaccid Lacking firmness, soft and limp, lacking vitality.
[bbb]
So we gonna take the word ’flaccid’ and we’re gonna put it in there with my mom’s titties with your erection problems, and
we’re gonna close this box and we’re gonna throw this bitch in the ocean. Bad Boys II
Snitch To act as an informant
[ccc]
I ain’t no snitch. Bad Boys II Buddies
Working companion with whom close cooperation is required, friend
[ddd]
I’m gonna send a special x to his KKK buddies back in jail. Bad Boys II
Busta A arrest, raid, or search by the police
[eee]
By the time we get done with you, you gonna be in the next Busta Rhymes video on BET. Bad Boys II
Pepto A medicine to heal digestive disorder
[fff]
I’m gonna have some pepto. Bad Boys II Dumped
Treat badly or criticize harshly
[ggg]
You thinking about that girl that dumped you? Rush Hour II
Mac out informal form of make out to pretend
[hhh]
We gotta mac out. Rush Hour II Brothas
A male person belonging to same profession
[iii]
Don’t mess with the brothas Rush Hour II
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45 The other remarkable characteristic of Black English found in the movies
is the usage of swearwords. Since African-American people is expressive so that mostly it is used by the speakers to express something such as annoyance, anger,
or threat. Here are some swearwords that often used by African-American people Since swearwords are considered as offensive words, the vowels are substituted
by asterisks: Dmn
Fck Gddmn
Stpd-ss Mthr
fckng Sht
Btch sshl
Mthr btch Mthrfckr
The hll My ss
Bd-ss My sht
Ft ss Pnk btch
Flthy mthrckr
Fckd p Latin fck
Bllsht Dg
Note: The complete version of the swearwords can be seen in appendices.
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C. Social Factors Influencing the Use of Black English in the Movies
The third research question is discussed from sociolinguistics aspect. This research is aimed to know the changes of language behavior of Black English in
the sample movies. It is analyzed based on the social relationship between speakers and addressee which is influenced by its social factors. According to
William Labov , social factors are the factors that influence the occurrence of
language change in society such as gender and power relations between the speaker and the addressee, the age of the speaker and the addressee, the audience
or addressee, the identity of the speaker i.e.: political, family, ethnic and geographical identities and nationality.
Answering the research question, the data is listed based on the expression of Black English found in the sample movies. Then, one by one the expression is
analyzed based on the relationship between the speakers and the addressee. After their relationship is known, then it is analyzed based on their social factors. There
are four social factors that can be analyzed from the movies. They are gender and power relation, age, and identity nationality.
1. Gender
The first social factor to be analyzed is gender. Gender in the data is differentiated into four categories; M – M Male – Male, M – F Male – Female,
F – F Female – Female, and F – M Female – Male. By comparing the expressions used in the four categories, several findings are resulted:
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