can i get a wittness

What is the original sourse of the phrase "Can I get a witness"?

Is it IN the Bible?


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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 10 Mar 2006 14:02 PST
As some of the comments suggest, I managed to find an early reference
to the phrase

Can I get a witness?

which probably has its origin in the African American Christian church.

Nannie Helen Burroughs, who lived from 1879 to 1961, was an historical figure in Black American Culture.

In this excerpt from the cultural study entitled

A CULTURAL CASE ANALYSIS OF THE WORKS OF NANNIE HELEN BURROUGHS?

the author describes a customary service that dates back to 19th Century church
tradition:

Witnessing, within the Black religious tradition,

indicated a fulfillment of an expectation of God-intervention in everyday life
(Ross, 1989).

In addition to anticipation of divine presence in
everyday living, witnessing also involves an affirmation of
understanding among Black women, as a collective group, that God had
and would work in the lives of church women.

On a community level inreligious services, church members may take time to give a testimony of how God has moved in their lives. Then, after telling their story,
the speaker engages the audience by stating,

Can I get a witness?

Within this context, the speaker is asking if anyone has experienced
the move of divine intervention similar to her own experiences.

In
turn, members within the audience express affirmation through hand
clapping and shout of "Amen!"