What can vary? Flashcards
Linguistic variable
Two or more ways of saying the same thing or expressing the same grammatical function.
Key heuristic tool for analyzing linguistic variation.
Usually denoted with parentheses.
Its realizations are the variants.
Inherent variation
The variability found in all levels of language.
- Lexis
- Phonology
- Syntax
- Morphology
- Pragmatics
Free variation
Refers to the belief that language change is random and unconstrained.
Structured heterogeneity
It is different, but it is structured.
It is constrained by social and linguistic factors.
Principle of multiple causes
It is a combination of social and linguistic factors that will determine whether a specific variant is selected on a specific occasion.
No social or linguistic factor will usually determine whether a variant is used.
Principle of accountability
Requires that reports of the occurrence of a variable feature must be accompanied by all occurrences where the feature could have appeared but did not.
Speech community
A group of speakers who share norms and expectations for language use.
Focus of sociolinguists
Recurrent speech patterns in a speech community.
Examples of varieties
- Geographical
- Social
- Ethnic
- Contextual
