BETA
Chapter 1
The linguistic mystery of a universal word
Chapter 2
The historical evolution from joint to jawn
Chapter 3
The unwritten rules of using jawn
Chapter 4
How jawn went mainstream in popular culture
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Philadelphia word jawn
Ch 1 · The linguistic mystery of a universal word
marcus Match each jawn to the correct object to master Philadelphia's most versatile slang word.
marcus The Philadelphia Word Jawn
That neighborhood / that favorite thing / it's all a jawn!
marcus Without context, jawn is meaningless, but in conversation, it is instantly understood.
marcus Linguists classify jawn as a rare multi-purpose word with no direct equivalent in other English dialects.
Fun Fact
Dictionary recognition: Merriam-Webster officially added 'jawn' to its Words We're Watching list in 2017.
Glossary
jawn (noun)
A slang word used as an all-purpose placeholder to refer to any person, place, thing, or event. Linguist William Labov began documenting the word’s development in Philadelphia through field recordings in the 1970s.
A slang word used as an all-purpose placeholder to refer to any person, place, thing, or event. Linguist William Labov began documenting the word’s development in Philadelphia through field recordings in the 1970s.
Quiz
Which dictionary added the Philadelphia word 'jawn' to its 'Words We're Watching' list in 2017?
Quiz
What is one grammatical function that the Philadelphia word 'jawn' can never perform?
Quiz
If a speaker from Philadelphia says 'look at those jawns,' what does the plural form 'jawns' refer to?
Quiz
What type of linguistic communication relies heavily on shared physical surroundings, like using the word 'jawn'?