Jawn is a slang term local to Philadelphia and, by extension, the Delaware Valley. KIt is a placeholder word that may refer to a thing, place, person, or event, substituting for a specific word/name. Jawn is a context-dependent substitute noun; a noun that substitutes for other nouns. [1] Jawn can be singular or plural. Examples include: "These jawns are expensive!", [2] "Pass me that jawn.", "Slow it down, jawn.", "That new jawn.", "This jawn is packed.". [3]
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Jawn is believed to be derived from the word "joint" (as its proper pronunciation sounds more like "joiwn"). [4] [5] Historically, the city's black population migrated to the northern part of the city from Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas/Virginia, bringing with them a Southern dialect that carried words such as 'joint'. [6]
