Sociolinguistics Flashcards
Language Variation
Concerns itself with social factors that influence variation in a structured way
NORMs
nonmobile older rural males, retained most traditional speech
isoglosses
boundary lines betw dialects
isogloss bundle
a lot of isoglosses in same place
Apparent time hypothesis
see change by looking at diff betw old + young speakers
generational differences show change reflected over time in lexicon
assume we keep same word over life time
Real time studies
Real time studies
interviewing ppl after years
Dialects
variation across geographical space
•if not mutually intelligable then diff languages, if mutually intelligable then diff dialects
Main Independent Variables
age, gender, class
Class
- Variants closely associated with upper classes carry most prestige
- Often adopt prestige norms imported from outside speech community
- Relationship betw class + careful speech styles
- Change from above: changes noticable in community + work from upper classes down
Hypercorrection
second highest class use way more prestige forms + pay most attention to speech due to linguistic insecurity
Ethnicity
- Linguistic system had remarkably similar structures, governed by similar linguistic constraints
- Preferred names for ethnic groups, ethnonyms, change over time, reflecting status of a group in wider society + degree of power a group is able to exercise over naming process
- Diminishing acceptability in our culture of ethnic slurs reflects changing attitudes toward ethnic naming practices
Gender
- Diff in language use reflect gender roles
- W use more of standard forms associated with overt prestige, more likely to use language to build + maintain relationships (rapport style), do more work to keep convo going
- M use language to communicate facts (report style), M interrupt more often
Covert prestige
street cred that men aim for to prove masculinity
