Final answer:
The purpose of the oral practices of playing the dozens and signifying was to engage in verbal jousting or insult contests. These practices developed within African-American communities as a form of entertainment, social bonding, and as a way to assert one's verbal prowess and status within the group.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the oral practices of playing the dozens and signifying was to engage in verbal jousting or insult contests. These practices developed within African-American communities as a form of entertainment, social bonding, and as a way to assert one's verbal prowess and status within the group.
Playing the dozens involves trading insults with another person, often in a light-hearted and humorous manner. The goal is to come up with clever and creative insults that showcase one's wit and quick thinking. Signifying, on the other hand, involves using indirect insults and clever wordplay to mock or criticize someone without explicitly mentioning their name.