A compilation of commonly used terms on social media. Many of these terms derive from African American Venacular Language (AAVE) and are often used incorrectly. (Graphic illustration by Christina Williams).

The Oxford Dictionary revealed its 2024 word of the year to be “brain rot,” which they define as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content).” However, among the influx of “unc,” “me asf” and “gyat” on TikTok, I always notice a common theme: These words are all derived from AAVE.

African American Vernacular English is a dialect of English, primarily spoken by African Americans, but it can be spoken by any Black individual. It is derived from the dialect spoken by enslaved people of the United States and the Caribbean, while also incorporating words from West African languages.

While the dialect is not exclusive to African Americans, it is often used incorrectly in videos and texts. Many people may not even know where these words come from or what they mean, yet they still use them incorrectly, which can be harmful. AAVE has certain grammar rules and punctuation that still apply, like any other dialect or language. An example would be the common slang “gyat” which is commonly used to describe a person with a big butt, but is actually a shortening of the phrase “gyat damn”(godd—-) and originally comes from AAVE.

The main issue with the rise of memes that misuse AAVE is that no one seems to care where these words come from, how to use them and why they are using them. As someone who speaks primarily in AAVE at home and uses these words regularly, I know many  words are taken out of context by others and used in a completely different way than how they are actually supposed to be used. Sometimes, people use them in a way where a sentence isn’t grammatically correct, since most AAVE are conjunctions or shortened words. For example the word “finna” is a shortened way to say “going to” and should be used in a sentence such as “I’m finna go to the store.”

For much of Gen Z on social media, AAVE has also been described as only “internet slang,” which can lead to the erasure of the dialect and to fewer people having knowledge of its history and why it was created in the first place. By refusing to acknowledge the origins of the speech,  people aren’t simply getting rid of a way of speaking but getting rid of a culture that has years of history.

AAVE isn’t the only cultural dialect that is getting misused. Many words used on the internet like “slay,” “period” and “eat” do derive from AAVE but have also been used by the LGBTQ+ community for years. These words are not original to TikTok but rather a misuse of words that have been important to marginalized groups for years.

Before you type “sis” or “slay” into a comment section, I encourage you to think about the meaning behind what you are saying and how it may affect the community behind it. AAVE is not “brain rot” — it’s a bigger culture and has more meaning than you think.