182

If I hear "unalive" as a verb one more time dean-frown

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Frank@hexbear.net 47 points 7 months ago

Language do be rapidly evolving in fascinating and unpredictable ways.

[-] RNAi@hexbear.net 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)
[-] GarbageShoot@hexbear.net 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That one is just longstanding AAVE, "do be" is a present progressive meaning something like "has been frequently known to be". "He do be working" therefore is like "He has been working a lot lately".

[-] Bay_of_Piggies@hexbear.net 5 points 7 months ago

I say it all the time, it's fun and less of a mouthful.

[-] IzyaKatzmann@hexbear.net 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I like using been, I listened to a podcast where a linguist explained how versatile it was. If you shorten it that means it like happened in the past and it's continuing to happen and you say it with more like emphasis, maybe like more plosive like a 'P':

"He been playing Mario Kart 8. Mans can't put the joycon down!"

Like you are doing something now or started recently if you say it kinda neutral:

"Yeah, I been tryna find some piece to play, I just keep on playin' Chopin, boy's been havin' it since 1818 or something. Old man and it's been a while since he dead, but he wasn't ok with dyin' cuz he's been killin' it.

Maybe like sarcastically or when you lengthen it:

A: "You do your part of the assignment? I haven't started I went to see Speed since it was playing."
B: "You were watching a re-run of some old movie no one's heard? Well, I've been doing my homework, y'know, what was assigned and we agreed to do."

this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2024
182 points (100.0% liked)

chapotraphouse

13447 readers
846 users here now

Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.

No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer

Vaush posts go in the_dunk_tank

Dunk posts in general go in the_dunk_tank, not here

Don't post low-hanging fruit here after it gets removed from the_dunk_tank

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS