Sociolinguistics Flashcards
Variationist Sociolinguistics
Measures the and explains structured variation as a function of
- linguistic factors
- social factors
- time
- place
Structured variation
There are many linguistic features that can be produced in more than one way (ex. all variables)
Variable
Different ways of saying the same thing
Variant
The different ways
Linguistic factors
Voicing, position, etc.
Categorical rules
Assumed to apply every time a particular environment is found
Probabilistic Constraints
More or less likely to apply
Intra-speaker variation
Some variation within individual speakers
Inter-speaker variation
How speech varies according to speakers’ social characteristics
Method: Variationist Sociolinguistics
- Find the speech community
- Collect data
- Analyze the data
Apparent time hypothesis
You can see change happening by looking at the difference b/n young and old speakers. A person’s grammar doesn’t change much in adulthood.
Dialectology
The study of regional differences in language
What is the oldest branch of sociolinguistics?
Dialectology
Isoglosseses
Boundary lines
Isolation
Causes preservation of older ways of speaking
Types of linguistics isolation
Physical, linguistic (from other speakers) , social (cultures and attitudes)
Shibboleth
Pronunciation of a single word becomes a stereotype
Dense social networks >
less apt to linguistic change
What is sociolinguistics?
The study of the relationship between society and language.
Speech Community
Shared sociolinguistic norms
Markers
Social meanings in the speech community commented on
Indicators
Generally not noticed in the speech community, but systematically correlate w/ social characteristics
Dialect
different versions of a language
T or F: To linguists, there is a firm dialect/language division
False
