The English History of African American English

"These studies of the African American diaspora apply the most refined quantitative techniques to illuminate the history of African American English. The brilliant work of Poplack and her colleagues has sharply narrowed the limits of controversy on the origins of AAVE, with findings that every responsible scholar must take into account in future research." William Labov, University of Pennsylvania

"This scholarly work is revolutionary and extremely well researched. It vindicates one's cultural identity and the tremendous endurance of African resistance. Well done!" Henry Bishop, Chief Curator, Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia

"Poplack and her colleagues have raised the art and science of AAVE research to the highest level ever attained by variationist sociolinguistics, and this book is essential reading for any linguistic scholar who wants to know about the history and structure of AAE throughout North America. It is not too soon to declare [this book] a classic." Language in Society

"[The English History of African American English] constitutes both a treasure of information and an indispensable tool for linguistic investigation." Canadian Journal of Linguistics

"The English History of African American English represents the type of detailed study that should be conducted in the investigation of the origin and other issues in AAE. The book challenges the long-standing creole hypothesis but raises enough questions about the structure of Early AAE to keep the origin debate alive." Journal of Socialinguistics, 2003