Jawn

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The word Jawn in graffiti style text Jawn.jpg
The word Jawn in graffiti style text

Jawn is an African-American vernacular slang term local to Philadelphia and, by extension, the Delaware Valley that may refer to a thing, place, person, or event, substituting for a specific 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.”, "That new jawn.", “This jawn is packed.” [3]

Contents

Jawn is believed to be derived from the word "joint". [4] [5] Historically, the city's black population migrated to the northern part of the city from Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas, bringing with them a Southern dialect that carried words such as 'joint'. [6]

Culture

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References

  1. Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century. Cambridge University Press. 2004. ISBN   9781139451338.
  2. "Philly-Original 'Jawn' Being Considered As Official Dictionary Word: Merriam-Webster". NBC Philadelphia. October 5, 2017.
  3. "JAWN: PHILADELPHIA'S MULTI-PURPOSE SLANG WORD, EXPLAINED". Allegiant Goods Co. September 15, 2021.
  4. "Some Jawn About 'Jawn'". Merriam-Webster. October 4, 2017.
  5. "Merriam-Webster analyzes 'jawn,' the Wawa of words". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 5, 2017.
  6. https://goinnorth.org
  7. "The Brilliance of the Cheesesteak Scene in 'Creed'". The Ringer. February 15, 2018.
  8. "Skate Jawn Interviews". Maine Skateboarding. Retrieved November 16, 2019 via blogspot.com.
  9. "Skate Jawn on zines, scenes, and DIY content". www.thegreenzine.co.uk. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. "Routine, Wale, Featuring Rick Ross & Meek Mill Lyrics". Genius.com.
  11. Hulu (July 2, 2021). "What is Jawn". Hulu. Retrieved July 3, 2021.