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This ‘Jawn’ is Getting Out of Hand

This ‘Jawn’ is Getting Out of Hand

The use of the word “jawn” is getting out of hand. It’s on billboards, T-shirts, coffee mugs, even food! But the origins of the word are kind of murky.

City Cast Philly

August 30, 202218m 17s

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Show Notes

The use of the word “jawn” is getting out of hand. It’s on billboards, T-shirts, coffee mugs, even food! But the origins of the word are kind of murky. What is for sure though is that Philadelphians feel strongly about how “jawn” is used and who gets to say it. City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri sits down with Dr. Taylor Jones, a linguist who focuses on regional accents in African American English, to share her feelings about the word, and learn more about its history and the debate about ownership and identity of language.  


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