US drug agency seeks expert help on Ebonics

US FEDERAL agents are seeking to hire Ebonics translators to help interpret wire-tapped conversations involving targets of undercover drug investigations.

The Drug Enforcement Administration recently sent memos asking companies that provide translation services to help it find nine translators who are fluent in Ebonics, Special Agent Michael Sanders said.

Ebonics - also known as African American Vernacular English - has been described by the psychologist who coined the term as the combination of English vocabulary with African language structure.

Some DEA agents already help translate Ebonics, Mr Sanders said. But he said wasn't sure if the agency had ever hired outside experts. "They saw a need for this in a couple of their investigations," he said.

Ebonics can be trickier than it seems, as it evolves so quickly. "People think you're just dealing with slang words, and that you can finesse your way around it," said John Rickford, a Stanford University linguistics professor. "It's not - it's a big vocabulary.