What ‘Mhm’ Has To Do With Black Language
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- It’s a sound that we hear often: “mhm.” It’s a simple, everyday sound that we have been known to use reflexively. So why don’t we know more about its history? #pushblack #blackhistory
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Im Nigerian and I speak Esan. “Ehen” sounds fairly similar to “mmhm” and it means yes
Ehen sounds nothing like mmhm.
Most Nigerian slaves were sent to South America. The roots of Mhmm most likely come from Senegal or other countries like that
@@mychannel-rt2gn A good chunk of the last wave of transported slaves were from Nigeria (which is why so many AAs get Nigerian in their 23&me) so this is a pretty reasonable suggestion. Also they may not sound similar phonetically but their usage is near identical so it's definitely worth some consideration
@@dolapo5179 it’s all documented. A lot of us are Igbo in Virginia, Carolinas and Georgia. Did my 23andme. I’m 48% Igbo. I’m 92% African. In Virginia they actually named the tribes where they got the slaves. Not to mention they recorded their name. Too much information to back up my Igbo dna. I’m too happy.
@@mychannel-rt2gn Not true. Too many in America and well documented.
@@mychannel-rt2gnor it comes from Black Americans who were not all slaves. White folks don’t want to admit their ideals are NOT European. Europeans were fleeing to the Americas for freedom from feudalism and slavery. Black American people were free, and Africans blended into our group once freed. American culture is very unique and nothing like African. I would say it had more in common with Hindu Indian culture which is why America is the West Indies. Africans usually do not even like Black Americans.
Growing up in Nigeria, "mhmm" was a sound of affirmation, agreement or acknowledgment. For instance, my mother when sending me on an errand, would ask me to hurry back and I would respond with "mhmm". Another instance where that sound could be used would be say, I warned my child not to touch the hot stove and he didn't listen. So as he's screaming in pain, i'd go "mhmm", like "I told you so!"
Wow! Glad to hear this is legit.
😂😂😂
Interesting! Same way we do in the States. 😊
Wow! Thanks for sharing that with us! Loved hearing about your experience with the phrase!
In Latin America is the same thing. It can mean yes, no, maybe depends on the inflection
Please do a video on the sound we make that means "I don't know" and the difference inflections that can be done with the sound to denote a different meaning of the same phrase.
That'd be great!
Bruh! I immediately made the sound that you’re speaking. And never realized that, that was a thing. Been doing it all my life. 🤦🏾♀️ 😂
No. We need to keep our communications private. White people are ALWAYS watching and trying to infiltrate.
Why does this resonate?? lol
Yes, please do this one!
Muahhm?? It’s even crazier when u try to spell and sound it out.
The kissing my teeth sound is something specific too. I know Haitians to do it, Jamaicans to do it, and African-Americans to do it. I’m not too sure about other diaspora cultures though.
I really don’t know of many European descendent people that make the sound
Edit. The sound I grew up with as an african american was more of a sucking the teeth sound and is different from the pulling air through the front teeth but both come with attitude and eyerolls typically
Africans, even more present in west Africa use it. It's actually part of our vocabulary. The word yes, in Gbé languages is actually a positive hmmm sound.
Yes, I hear it a lot in Ghanaians and other West African cultures. It’s usually accompanied by a pronounced eye gesture, as well. I loved seeing the connections to African-American culture when I visited Ghana 🇬🇭
Other Eastern Caribbean islands do it as well.
We do make something similar that was/is considered rude. A sound that tongue smacks against top teeh. Bit like Tisk...Can't spell it sorry. Not as expressive as the Jamaicans but it's there. 😂
Yep! Among Afro-Caribbeans you hear this still the time. I've told American friends that among other things, it can translate to "damn." That's why my mom would say it was rude when we were kids.
Interesting! I live in the Netherlands, both my parents were born in Surinam, a former Dutch colony (they brought enslaved West-Africans to Surinam) and we make the same type of sound. The "kissing teeth" is also something we do.
We call it sucking your teeth
A steups
My family is from Guinea in West Africa, and we also do the “kissing teeth” sound.
“Steuuupsss”
@@Mimi-ht6xr ???
I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of people with a lot of different native languages and uhm, mhm and uh sounds are pretty universal.
So I'd find it strange if english didn't already have it.
I think it's like the word mama, uhm is a lot simpler to say than yes or hai or áno, so little children use it and meaning is communicated through tones. And then it sticks around in general language because it's used so much.
That's great! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us! 🧡
I love this channel….. I’m white and live in a part of the country that is rural with very few black residents. I love learning about black culture and history from you and the people who comment. Thank you for what you do here…. I appreciate you! ❤
Thank you, we appreciate you too! 🧡
@@PushBlack I have a question: I love the Mhmm that I hear in ya’lls speech….it says soooo much! And is so versatile. And there are times when I want to use it too in conversation… but I’m an older white woman… would that seem like an insult to you if you heard me speaking that way? There is much that I admire about African culture but I’m white. I’d love it if sometime you might talk to how white people can honor (and possibly adopt aspects of ) African culture without it coming across as condescending. Thanks so much! You’re doing great work!
@@greenspiritartsStop getting ur Black info from pple like this go travel and interact with black pole and u'll learn how stupid this vid is.
@@greenspiritartsim black and in my opinion no that wont be offensive plus who cares just do what you want ok :) because your cool 😎
@@greenspiritartsit’s used in most European languages (also of countries that never had African slaves). It’s a common, culturally universal sound, of course you can use it!
This video had so much potential if it would have made a connection between mhm and an actual word from an African language for us to make a link. It doesn’t give us anything besides a speculation. I’m interested in the next video on this subject.
Thanks for the feedback! We will certainly pass that onto the team! 🧡
I said Mhm as I was getting off the phone with a patient at work, he was white. He got so pissed, about how he felt disrespected I was trying to assure him that was not my intention. Ugh!
People love to get offended at anything 🙄
@@againstthegraingolf301lol
Was your patient a clown or was your patient just clowning? mhm! 😂
@@I2AmUSLOLL
@@againstthegraingolf301 So…you can’t claim it as your supposed people’s own THANG then get mad when someone who isn’t your people doesnt understand. Make up your mind
In Czech republic we say this since middle ages. I thought its in every single language.
It is I’m sure. It’s just the hand gesture of wiggling your pointer finger to someone means “come here” and everyone understands it. It’s just a universal sound we all use. Nothing special I’m sure.
@@jameshopkins503
y’all love to dismiss anything we do as specific to African American origins. The way those phrases you describe are used is NOT how we use it in AAVE and only Black Americans are aware of how coded so much of our conversations are amongst each other especially in mixed company. “Nothing special I’m sure”🙄- you are no linguistic expert. Only thing you’re sure about is your conscious bias.
@@hello_04chill out. non verbal communication isn't limited to Africa and USA. English isn't everybody's first language
Thanks for all for sharing your thoughts on this video and for a productive conversation!
@@nightrain4500 no one said it was. You made that leap in logic. This video sho didn't make that claim.
"mhm" exists in a heckton of countries
thinking about it, i don't believe it is that predominant as it is in countries which black enslaved people have been trafficated to, only those that had. probably it was not restricted to africa only, but it surely isn't a global interjection.
@@yuminsama1301slavic countries use it, and we didn't have black slaves
@@yuminsama1301we have the same "mhm" in Ukraine, and I am sure litterally everyone understands it, and we have a few actual words that sound really similar and mean the same: ага & угу (aha & uhu).
@@DimaMuskind i did a quick search and i coudn't find racial demographics of ukraine, only ethnical ones, and they seemed pretty dated and messy. it's possible that the interjection had several different and unrelated origins since it is such a simple sound to produce. it's very cool to know certain things can be frequent in different regions!
North East Europe had "aha" or "mhm" sounds meaning "yes/sure" for a very long time, before any western influences. 😑
Now that I'm thinking about Mama, I should call her.
I hope you did, and I hope she’s well ♥️
🧡
Please, I believe this sound is quite universally used throughout the world. Would be interesting to hear a linguistic explanation
True, for example, it's widespread in Ukraine, also with tweaking of sound and meaning. The realisation that it's not universal came to me quite suddenly when international coworkers couldn't understand what I meant 😂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us! 🧡
It's a human sound from back in the day humans were still learning to talk. In other languages across the globe it's very common. I know this as my mother tonge isn't English.
Thank you for sharing! Very interesting to think about.
I'm Ukrainain and my people and I had been saying mhm (uhum) for ages.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We appreciate your voice in the conversation! 🧡
@@PushBlack , you're welcome, but it's not my thoughts, it's a fact: all Slavic people say Mhm, and it's recorded in the literature written a few centuries ago, before Slavs met any Black people. I heard that Kyrgyz, Portugalese, and Vietnamese use it too, so my guess that Mhm, Aha, and Uh-uh are just mumblings that are used by humans universally since the dawn of time. Well, since we, modern humans, have originated in Africa, you may consider these expressions related to "black language". But saying that YT ppl got it from Black people who were enslaved is a huuuuuuuuuuuge stretch ))
We say "mhm" to mean a variety of things. according to the situation it means "Yes, No, It's like that huh, I don't believe shit you're saying, Get outta my face, Not today!, That's not gonna happen" and so on. As a beautiful black woman, "mhm" is a staple. And you know this!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us! 🧡
Uhm, uhm, uhm meant to convey disappointment, sadness, or disbelief. 😄I love us!!
Yes!
It also means, "well....."
can also mean "I agree" or "amen" (long drawn out mhmm)
@@ariesmry Ι thought you don't pronounce the h.
We do too! 🧡
I think that sound is used exactly the same in British English. I've grown up with both those inflections and I can't see any difference between the use we have of that sound and what you are talking about.
It's also be used the same in Ukraine, of all places. Nothing to do with America, or Black People it's just a sound.
Same!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video with us!
As an African man from south Benin Republic, I can definitely tell you that it comes from here.
In gbé language, the word yes is "HM" in it's acquiescing form. There is no other word.
The word no "hanhm" in the negative form. The negative can also use "ehéhó" or "éhó".
The sound is not solely used by African Americans but throughout all afro descendants in the diaspora It is found all over west Africa but seems more prominent in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast
I even conducted a small experience with two of my friends: One from Haïti and the other from Alabama USA.
At a party in Canada, we were with divers friends, about 20 people and I made the affirmation that black people have a common language that no matter where they came from they would understand.
As this is a written post, I cannot reproduce it but.using just the different variant of the sound and small facial expressions I could convey the following.
- yes
- I am questioning myself
- All this is amazing
- but nonl, no, no it is unacceptable.
- it pains me.
All this through the sound variant and my friends understood, but white people mostly lost. Those who understood a bit were mostly helped by my facial expressions not by the sound itself.
Wow, interesting experiment!
Wow, that's very interesting! Thanks for sharing this with us! 🧡
@@PushBlack It was. Thanks for the post.
Not the baby Cardi picture 😁
Right 😂😂😂😂
I was just about to comment how random that was.
😂Ty! I was like I recognize that baby, but I can't place her.
Mmhmm
She’s not Black or of African descent…so I’m uber confused lol. But it’s a good video still 🤷🏿♀️
Mmhm, or really? I doubt it, seriously, absolutely, and a few others. From my grandmother, to my auntie, to my mother, to me, to my daughter's, and some friends. Believe whatever you like, if it makes your day...I could say it comes from the deep woods of Maine where people say a lot while saying as little as possible and the mosquitoes and black flies are thick as theives. So speaking while keeping your mouth closed is essential.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! 🧡
@@lori-annefay4138 you feel better?
i love my school because they actually teach us about how america was built on racism
That's great! We need to learn from our past.
I'm all for black roots and black pride, but mhm is a standard utterance in German and many other European languages, dating back to times when non-Europeans were a rare curiosity here.
@@derhavas, IKR!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video with us!
I know it’s similar to a Nigerian word for agreement. I love how language travels and changes, it’s amazing, a loving entity!
Was just gonna comment on that. It’s part of most (if not all) Germanic languages and I think these sounds (like mhm, huh?, hm,…) in general are quite universal, cross culture phenomenons.
The Moors ruled Europe for 700 years
I was expecting you to mention words from native tongues that could have been the origin of "Mhmm".
We can certainly look into that!
It would be nice if examples were given of the potential African linguistic roots of the expression “mhmm” as well as some indication of the suspected tribal/regional origin.
Thanks for the feedback! We will pass that onto the team! 🧡
I am German. No African roots in sight. _Mhm_ was something I heard and used all the time in Northern Germany as a wordless affirmative. Still do. 🤷
It’s not just about the word ‘mhm’. It’s about the music around the word.
I have to doubt that your mhm sounds exactly like southern US mMmHhhmm. It is its own language. There is a Key and Peele skit that does a hilarious interpretation of how it sounds. Just as I doubt others mhm sound like a northern German one. Crazy how everyone is different yet still distantly connected.
@bambicrandi I don't think it's it own language. More a dialect. Different versions of the same language.
African linguistics are older than Germanic linguistics, but go ahead and be eurocentric anyways
@@kylezo How is what the op is saying eurocentric? I was born and raised in a predominantly white context in Sweden, and we say 'mhm' too. Could it be that some communicative sounds have more than one origin?
I'm Slovak (central Europe). The mhm sound is used frequently in various contexts and meanings. It's used in Slovak, Czech, Serbian and probably all slavic languages. I think it's a universal human sound that most languages have used for centuries or millenia.
Many eastern european countries have "mhm" equivalents (aha, угу, etc.), so isn't it far more likely that it's either of Indo-European origin or universal to most languages?
Thanks for sharing! It would be interesting to find the definitive origins.
I asked my linguistics professor this question 12 years ago and he didn't know the answer! So glad to have such a fascinating answer. I'm still curious about that "I don't know" sound that's very similar to "mhm" 🤔
Very interesting - thanks for sharing that with us! 🧡
I’ve heard different races says “Mmhmm” everything doesn’t have a some deep meaning to it. A lot of people who are black and nonblack say this usually in agreement or if they don’t really care about something. The word has different meanings depending on how and why it’s being said.
It's almost like you didn't even watch the video wow
Relevant username
@@kylezo I grew up in a predominantly white context in Sweden. We say 'mhm' too. I don't think the roots for it are the same as suggested in this video (given that Sweden "only" (not a justification) had a "small" colony in St Bart's, and no enslaved people from African countries within the nation), but I haven't done any research on it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us!
@@kylezodid you read the last sentence of the comment? It can convey a ton of different meanings depending on how it’s said, what undertone, facial expression, etc.
I'm white and had African friends for several years. I tell you their "mhm" had extra inflection in it that as a white Aussie I just don't normally put in that sound! I had to remember to get my African "mhm" sound on when I was with them!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
Imagine learning stuff like this in school. So cool
I know right!
@@badboygoodgirl, imagine learning in school that other cultures and gradations, besides YT American and Black American exist!
That would be very cool! 🧡
@@ratildahoyden9864 IKR. 💯
No matter how contextually ready I was, the amount of ‘mhms’ in this video threw my radar allllll the way off 😂. That was the most disjointed conversation I have ever heard, not because of the presenter, but because I was trying to interpret all those mhms 😭😭
We gotchu! 🤣
I just love being black. Love my people, love our rich history & culture
It is very wonderful and those in the black community usually don't look like they age a lot until they really get up there. Beautiful genes, beautiful people, and a wonderful culture.
Rich History ? I would really love to know the history, I've never heard about it. (Not being sarcastic in anyway) It's not something that is taught.
We love us too! 🧡
I am so proud of you! Teaching our history!
Thank you so much for your support! 🧡
This is probably why we instinctively know how to have a whole conversation with just a sound. And we also are able to have a whole conversation without even saying a word with one another too. 💁🏾♀️
Me and an older blk woman that I did not know witnessed a woman do something bizarre in Walmart. We had a wholeeee convo with just eyes and lip purses. I love us!
@@anonnnymousthegreat Some white folks here try to say they do the same thing we do, but I betcha they can't do that!
Right?! That's something we can definitely do! 🧡
I love knowing where words originated. Thanks for this info!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching! 🧡
I am from Uganda East Africa, this sound is part of our normal expressions almost part of our languages. The meaning of it changes with the tone and context and with culture.
Definitely can! Certainly has been interesting reading all of the comments about how this phrase is interpreted in their culture!
Mmhmm " could have had a similar story". Was not the exposé I was hoping for. Though in my own experience saying Uhh huhh, but with the mouth closed ( so as to be more discreet) is the origin. Used by many people I knew and know of various nationalities and ethnicities but most of them women. All the women used this !
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video with us!
My mom is from Comoros which is a pretty isolated and distant African island and she says "mhmm" in that tone so much that I've heard her do it in her sleep. Sucking your teeth is another example, Comorians do that all the time
Very interesting - thanks for sharing! 🧡
1:26 okay, but that's a GLORIOUS afro
🧡
I'm italian, and i can say all countries that look on the mediterran sea can speak in sounds witout using words
Thank you for sharing, very interesting to think about!
This sounds made up. Everybody says "Mhm".
Yes, Okra & Banjo are African words, but what language does "Mhm" come from?
The creator of the video never says, because they don't actually know.
Also, "Mhm" isn't actually a word, it's just a sound.
It's like if someone says "hmmmm....🤔", or "ahhhh".... those aren't words either.
It's also weird that a pic of Cardi B (who's not Black) with her hand on her hips to try to drive home this non-point.🙄
We as Black people would be far better off re-learning the languages (not just a few words) that the slaver took from us.
We are the only monolingual people on the earth right now. Most people in the world (especially other Blacks) are fluent in at least 2 languages, some knowing as many as 5.
But we Blacks in Amerikkka only know English, & most of us barely speak it beyond a 7th grade level.
Meanwhile, Spanish is the 2nd most spoken language in Amerikkka right now, & we don't even know it, & they teach it in public school for free.
It makes no sense to "teach" about only knowing 2 or 3 African words, when our people across the ocean know ALL the African words, plus English fluently.
We must do better as a people, if we are to move forward.
they learn it when they are very young, thats the time to learn, as it becomes quite hard after that
@@magnusgranskau7487 And so, why aren't Black parents making their children learn it in school?
Also, it's not that difficult for adults to learn a new language. Immigrants come here as adults & learn it within a year. You just have to apply yourself, & do away with the excuses. 🤷🏿♂️
Why are you so pressed about that under this video tho? You don‘t have to choose between learning another language and appreciating the existing remnants of your ancestors‘ languages in English. If you wanna advocate for black Americans to learn other languages, you can do that in tandem with this. Learning a second language is hard and first you need the motivation to do it. A video about two or three words could inspire some people to take that step. This video is certainly not discouraging anyone from doing it.
@@heyna1185 Thos sounds like excuses. People learn new languages all the time. There are programs that help you do it.
Muttering "Mhmmm" is not some "Ancestral language. That some made up nonsense. We find any excuse to make up some bogus narrative, rather than doing g the historical & cultural work to rediscover our actual Ancestral connections.
If that's good enough for you, then so be it. Some of us know & want better.
So yes, I am "pressed", because for too often we like to lower the bar.
@@shahross8366 I never argued against learning a language and neither did this video. I think learning a new language is great and should be encouraged. I’m fluent in two, know the basics of a third and am trying to learn a fourth. Trust me, I love languages. xD
My point was just that analyzing parts of language that are already common in a certain group is not discouraging anyone from doing that, if anything it could get people interested in linguistics and get them to research (in this case) African languages and culture.
We say it in Belgium.
Thanks for sharing! 🧡
"Mmh mmh! get somebody else to do it."
🤣
We have mhm in Finland too. It might also be a quite universal sound with different kinds of meanings depending on tone of voice you use. A bit like lifting eyebrows etc.
Thanks for sharing! That's so interesting to compare across cultures! 🧡
I think every race on earth uses either “mm” or “mhm” to convey understanding. Sarcasm also goes across borders.
Definitely, interesting to compare the similarities!
Languages are fascinating. Thanks for sharing this bit I didn't know about. 😊😊😊
Glad you enjoyed it! 🧡
There's also uh uh uh, as in uh uh uh, this world we living in today, and the policies in place are uh uh uh something else!❤💪
Mmmmhm! Thank God for it!
🧡
Said by Polish Americans as a rapid oy oy oy.
1:11 OMG not baby Belcalis, girl what is you doing here?! 😭😭🤣🤣
Thanks for watching! 🧡
Totally awesome and very cool history 😊
We also think so too! Thanks for watching the video! 🧡
When i was in school they absolutely did not teach black history right! There’s so much i don’t know and would love to know more about it’s a shame.
That's one of the reasons we continue to publish videos like these so that more people like you are able to learn history that wasn't taught in schools! 🧡
Love this!
We are so glad you do! Thanks for watching the video! 🧡
In college I took a class on Black English. This was in the 1980s. It was quite informative and affirming. Yes, so much of our West African ancestral culture is ensconced in our language.
That's amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
I was explaining that at the end of Kendrick’s song not like us he does the mmmhh hmm on purpose because it’s like when an older relative has finished telling you about yourself 😅😅😅
Ha, we love that! 🧡
Sometimes, my mom uses “mhm” when she wants me to look at something funny or interesting.
That's interesting to hear how it's used differently depending on who and where they are! Thanks for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
Thanks for sharing this!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching! 🧡
Why is Cardi B child photo in the video 😂?
Maybe cause she's dominican and we also use Mhm, mmm, ummm, enje, hum, and other variants and gestures to convey different messages 🤷🏽♂️
@@jesusdavis2941 gotcha!
That's a great question! Another user below described the reasoning well!
In the 1980s i learned that black African people in cuba did that as well.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
It is absolutely ancestral, modern africans still use the sound the same way today!
It's definitely still around! 🧡
Good, informative video! As a white Southerner, I realized early in life that much of my accent was influenced by black Southerners. Despite the terrible institution of slavery, blacks created much of what Americans refer to as Southern Culture
You are very welcome! Thanks for watching the video! 🤷🏿
Well. It's used in French? A lot? Who sold Louisiana to the US. Kissing you teeth is rather common around Mediterranean countries as well.
Thank you for sharing! That's definitely interesting to think about.
I am a 70 yr old daughter of a Polish immigrant and mongrel European and Cherokee mother from Missouri. I grew up in Detroit with mhm in use in my family and community. My maternal grandmother had many rich idioms. I now live Up North in NW Lower Michigan and while I love the healing properties of being surrounded by nature I miss the diversity of the Metro area and the brilliantly expressive Urbanese language as I call it. Mhm!
Love that! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
This is super interesting! I noticed the other day that black Americans use different variations of mhm sounds a lot more than white Americans. I‘m German and we also use sounds like these, with different meanings as well. Makes me wonder if we somehow picked that up from African people or if it developed independently but didn‘t make it into English? I also noticed the difference between French and German, in France people were always super confused when I did a hm to convey that I was listening or agreeing or something. They thought I didn‘t understand and was asking them to repeat themselves. xD
Definitely very interesting to compare and contrast amongst the different cultures! 🧡
I’m Asian and we have this mhm sound, too. It is universal and exists pretty much in all languages, but in US, Black Americans just pronounce it with more attitude, that’s all.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! 🧡
"Mhm" in a rapid sarcastic tone- similar to scoffs. "Mhm" in present tense- meaning affirmative, I got you. "Mhm" when tuning into a discussion, awaiting time for response- ok I'm following you. "Mhm" could also mean... I disagree respectively. "Mhm" - naw, you got it wrong
Definitely - so interesting to explore these different meanings! 🧡
why have some of the people in the comments not listened properly. they literally said the origins of "mhm" is debated. no one is saying its from black culture, its just an undeniable *part* of it and a very *possible* theory for its origins.. like did you even watch the video 😭
Thanks for your thoughts on the video - we appreciate you in this conversation! 🧡
In my native Shona language (Zimbabwe) Ehe sounds the same and can be substituted with mhm
We actually use both.
How interesting! Thanks for sharing that with us! 🧡
I have millennials and gen zers and I love how our words, laughter and gestures/ body language have been passed down from generations. We can have a full on conversation without saying a thing and only we understood!
Love that! 🧡
Mhm is too cool for anyone but us to have popularized 😊
🧡
Belacalis in the middle of the slide show threw me
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us!
😒mhm (I don't believe you)
🤣
I wonder if correcting a child saying that the proper response is “Yes Mam” is connected? I can see it being passed down as the proper way to address the plantation’s Mistress.. smh
That would be interesting to explore!
@@PushBlack I never heard it until I moved to the south..
So far in this thread we've had comments from germanics, slavs, native americans, spanish speakers to name but a few. I'm not saying that the affirmative "mhmm" didn't originate in africa. But all humans did. Maybe it's older and more ubiquitous than you thought.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us!
That's so interesting! And educational!! I didn't know about the sneaking some native words into English, although it totally makes sense. They never taught us that. (Gee. I wonder why. 😒)
Thank you for sharing!!!
Glad you liked it! 🧡
It's definitely African sis; it's always been used in West Africa, I believe that it's used in east and southern Africa also. It means different things depending on context.
It's in Native culture in the east too
Definitely, have seen several others note that context is important when using this word. 🧡
Everything in not like us means something.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
why was a picture of cardi b used 🤨
Right. She’s not even black. I’m so sick of it.
Thanks for the feedback, we can pass that onto the team!
So often it is the WAY a certain word is said! Here in Aus🇦🇺 the word “mate” can be used in so many different situations, it’s actually hilarious 😂 It’s all about the inflection & emphasis - “Yeah mate” is very different to “May- t”! Perhaps you need to be an Aussie to understand, but those people know EXACTLY what I’m talking about 😉 Mate😂
Love the comparison! Gives us a lot to think about! Thanks for sharing that with us! 🧡
Uh-huh is also common and it's from Cherokee
Osda
That's awesome! That's really awesome. ❤
Thanks for sharing that with us! Very interesting factoid.
I love this we should embrace OUR genius
Yes we should! 🧡
Oh Lord, videos like this make me nervous. Give it a year and the vyet people will be mmhmming us all to death, using the expression all wrong and acting too familiar. Deep sigh...oh well.
Lmao- yes they love to gentrify language also. Then a Time magazine cover talmbout “How the Western world originated the “mhmmm Vernacular”
@@delphineblue lol it's sad.
@@somemorre But these people really think Europeans do the exact same thing. Lol
@somemorre A lot of (mostly yt) people in the comments seem to think yt and black people use mhm or mmm in exactly the same way and with the same meaning. Reminds me of how some people think they can just easily speak AAVE because it's "bad english" and then end up screwing it up. But that's what happens when you're not a part of the culcha, yet you think you know us better than we do.
@@jessicabrown1214 ahhh ok, yeah I see some of them in these comments 🙄. You're speaking straight facts... look at the mess they made with the word woke.
This is wonderful!
We are so glad you think so! 🧡
Yes 💪💪 that can go for good r bad ,or r u seeing this, all the above 👍💪💯💕👑
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That's pretty interesting, I love to learn about other cultures and how and why they came to be intergrated into the larger culture of the US. Hope this makes sense. I'm mostly white and some native, I use the expression a lot and had no idea it might have black roots. I'm Oklahoman, so that makes sense that it's common here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, we appreciate your voice in the conversation! 🧡
Oh that's really interesting! We use this "mhm" in different intonations in French as well, therefore I wonder it comes from the various colonies we used to have. Now I have to know...
That's a great question to ask! Would be interesting to find out! 🧡
Interesting stuff! I'm from Brazil and here "mhm" is a really common thing!
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I just know that we also use it in Puerto Rico in the same way.
That's interesting to hear! Thanks for sharing that with us! 🧡
An older black man once saved me from a Karen with a simple “mmhmm.” I owe him my freedom. Thank you.
Wow! Thanks for sharing that experience with us!
etymology gang 🤜🤛
You know that's right! 🧡
White and swedish here, fairly sure a whole bunch of european languages do the "mhm", it's pretty common. Could have multiple origins though, dont want to take away from your point.
was just thinking that, totally makes sense why linguists havent decided on a definite answer yet. more research and cultural exchange is needed for sure 😁
Definitely much more to explore!
This video doesn't really provide any evidence or argument to why you think "mhmm" comes from African vernacular. It seems to be, "we don't know much about it''s history and it wouldn't be the first time." I think this is a strange narrative seeing as how "mhm" is said across cultures, not just English.
If something is more prominent among black Americans than white Americans, it‘s reasonable to assume it came from their ancestors.
@@heyna1185 i guess I don’t agree that “mhm” is more prominent in African Americans
@norahe1953 That's because you've never heard us use it or didn't notice the inflection/emphasis. It's something that's hard to convey via text, but we all know exactly what sounds we're referring to. Just look at the comments. There's many different ways that we say mmm or mhm that have many different meanings. And they all have certain facial expressions that go along with them. Personally, I avoid doing it around white folks because I know they won't get it or will look down on it.
@@jessicabrown1214 that’s not exclusive to African Americans tho. “Mhmm” is said by every race, even outside of America
@norahe1953 Smh you're not listening to what I'm saying. But you think you know our culture and language better than we do, right? Of course you do.
Just like how y'all screw up AAVE when you try to speak it because you didn't understand it the way you thought you did.
I love the video topic! Never thought about the phrase "mhmm," before on a deeper level. 🌊🌊🌊
We are glad you loved the video! 🧡
I’m not sure if the origin of mhm is African. I’m Hungarian and we have use mhm in the same (many) way as you just described. We came through the Caucasus, so having African links is not likely. Although some groups before they settled in the Carpathian Walley possibly wondered to the Middle East and mingled with Sumerian tribes, because linguists found evidence of common roots. I can imagine that either Sumerians went to Africa or the other way around and that’s why this overlap. But some say, that end of the day we are all Africans… ❤
👆🏾THIS train is never late- smh
(ʃƪ＾3＾）
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this video! 🧡
We use that alot in my country Trinidad and Tobago, it goes all the way back.
Certainly does! Thanks for sharing! 🧡
My coworkers used to make fun of me when I was on the phone with a customer at work. When someone is talking to me, I naturally say “mmhmm” multiple times. I never noticed it until they pointed it out. Its like I say at and what the person says connects with my brain. Now I try not to say “mmhmm” so much. I just never noticed until someone pointed it out.
That's interesting to hear how you used the phrase in daily conversation! Thanks for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
Mhm depending how emphasized has many meanings. We can have a whole conversation or sing a song ...Alot of us spoke pig latin as well which was fun to do as a kid lol
That sounds like fun! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
A lot of the words we as old people use to use we got them from the white slaves words like yea but yup and shove is
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video with us!
I oh my goodness. Our family uses that all the time. I never knew the history. Just grew up doing it.
Love that! Thanks for sharing your experience with us! 🧡
So what word does it come from? And what did it originally mean?
There are variants meaning different things and most Africans who don’t speak the same language will understand the exact meaning of each variant.
because its not african, its human body language. everyone can communicate like that
@@homodeus8713 this is true of all humans. It’s almost as if this a natural sound for humans to make and it wasn’t “invented”
That's a great question! This video explores that idea of where the word may have come from.
Loved this thought piece but Cardi is not black. I always find it interesting that different videos that say specifically “black” often have ppl who aren’t and usually Hispanic sprinkled in. I understand the notion of blk Hispanic but Cardi isn’t and typically those shown do not have an African phenotype.
There are lots of Black Hispanic people.
@@blackpalacemusic absolutely and like I said she is not one. Amara la negra is and tons of others are. This is about black/- African ppl. I see it so often and wonder why this is the case bc would you see something similar in a thread about whites, Asians or Hispanics?
@@g.t.7550 So are you saying Cardi B has no Black African heritage? Or are you saying she doesn't have enough to qualify as Black?
She's by your (american) standards Afro - latina. She's from Dominica and we're all mix and mingled up over here in the Caribbean.
Probably best to go by what SHE uses (I don't "follow" her, but don't believe she classifies herself as Black...).