Characteristics of Negro Expression

I was surprised in the section "will to adorn" when Hurston stated that "the Negro has introduced no African words to the language." I guess I never truly thought about who introduced words or where they originated from, especially if African Americans introduced words to our language. Although African Americans are looked down for their "slang," I think its fair to say that it is their own language and I do believe that it has been passed down to many generation. Words like "aint" are transformed from the english language from the word "aren't", but these words did originate from the African American culture and are still used today. I think it is important to identify because in the early 1900's it may not have been accepted, but today, "slang" words are commonly used even though they aren't "proper."

In the section "dialect", I thought it was very interesting how Hurston states how the lip form is responsible for the way African Americans speak. Hurston says, "By experiment the reader will find that a sharp "I" is very much easier with a thin taut lip than with a full soft lip." I think this description of how words are pronounced by other cultures give you more of an understanding and respect for their culture, rather than judging them of how they pronounce words.