Aspects of Linguistic Variation

Aspects of Linguistic Variation
Author: Daniël Olmen
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2018-12-03
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3110609878

Linguistic variation is a topic of ongoing interest to the field. Its description and its explanations continue to intrigue scholars from many different backgrounds. By taking a deliberately broad perspective on the matter, covering not only crosslinguistic and diachronic but also intralinguistic and interspeaker variation and examining phenomena ranging from negation over connectives to definite articles in well- and lesser-known languages, the volume furthers our understanding of variation in general. The papers offer new insights into, among other things, the theoretical notion of comparative concepts, the social or mental nature of language structure, the areal factor in lexical typology and the diachronic implications of semantic maps. The collection will thus be of relevance to typologists and historical linguists, as well as to people studying variation within the areas of cognitive and functional linguistics.

Linguistic Variation in Research Articles

Linguistic Variation in Research Articles
Author: Bethany Gray
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2015-12-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9027268045

Linguistic Variation in Research Articles investigates the linguistic characteristics of academic research articles, going beyond a traditional analysis of the generically-defined research article to take into account varied realizations of research articles within and across disciplines. It combines corpus-based analyses of 70+ linguistic features with analyses of the situational, or non-linguistic, characteristics of the Academic Journal Registers Corpus: 270 research articles from 6 diverse disciplines (philosophy, history, political science, applied linguistics, biology, physics) and representing three sub-registers (theoretical, quantitative, and qualitative research). Comprehensive analyses include a lexical/grammatical survey, an exploration of structural complexity, and a Multi-Dimensional analysis, all interpreted relative to the situational analysis of the corpus. The finding that linguistic variation in research articles does not occur along a single parameter like discipline is discussed relative to our understanding of disciplinary practices, the multidimensional nature of variation in research articles, and resulting methodological considerations for corpus studies of disciplinary writing.

Social Meaning and Linguistic Variation

Social Meaning and Linguistic Variation
Author: Lauren Hall-Lew
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 405
Release: 2021-08-12
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1108633609

The 'third wave' of variation study, spearheaded by the sociolinguist Penelope Eckert, places its focus on social meaning, or the inferences that can be drawn about speakers based on how they talk. While social meaning has always been a concern of modern sociolinguistics, its aims and assumptions have not been explicitly spelled out until now. This pioneering book provides a comprehensive overview of the central tenets of variation study, examining several components of dialects, and considering language use in a wide variety of cultural and linguistic contexts. Each chapter, written by a leader in the field, posits a unique theoretical claim about social meaning and presents new empirical data to shed light on the topic at hand. The volume makes a case for why attending to social meaning is vital to the study of variation while also providing a foundation from which variationists can productively engage with social meaning.

Linguistic Variation and Change

Linguistic Variation and Change
Author: Scott F. Kiesling
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2011-04-29
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 074863763X

The study of variation and change is at the heart of the sociolinguistics. Providing a wide survey of the field, this textbook is organised around three constraints on variation: linguistic structure, social structure and identity, and social and linguistic perception. By considering both structure and meaning, Scott F. Kiesling examines the most important issues surrounding variation theory, including canonical studies and terms as well as challenges to them.

Using Corpora to Explore Linguistic Variation

Using Corpora to Explore Linguistic Variation
Author: Randi Reppen
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2002-11-29
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9027296162

Using Corpora to Explore Linguistic Variation illustrates the ways in which linguistic variation can be explored through corpus-based investigation. Two major kinds of research questions are considered: variation in the use of a particular linguistic feature, and variation across dialects or registers. Part 1: “Exploring variation in the use of linguistic features” focuses on the study of specific words, expressions, or grammatical constructions, to study variation in the use of a particular linguistic feature. Part 2: “Exploring dialect and register variation” describes salient characteristics of dialects or registers and the patterns of variation across varieties. Part 3: “Exploring Historical Variation” applies these same two major perspectives to historical variation. One recurring theme is the extent to which linguistic variation depends on register differences, reflecting the importance of register as a key methodological and thematic concern in current corpus linguistic research.

Sociolinguistic Variation in Children's Language

Sociolinguistic Variation in Children's Language
Author: Jennifer Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2019-05-23
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1107172616

Investigates when and how preschool children acquire the vernacular norms of the community they come from.

Meaning and Linguistic Variation

Meaning and Linguistic Variation
Author: Penelope Eckert
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2018-07-05
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 110712297X

An important new study of the social meaning of sociolinguistic variation.

The Locus of Linguistic Variation

The Locus of Linguistic Variation
Author: Constantine Lignos
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2018-09-06
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9027263663

This volume explores how the patterning of surface variation can shed light on the grammatical representation of variable phenomena. The authors explore variation in several domains, addressing intra- and inter-dialectal patterns, using diverse sources of data including corpora of naturally-occurring speech and judgment studies, and drawing on lesser-studied varieties of familiar languages, such as Northwest British Englishes and varieties of Canadian French. Ultimately, the contributions serve to expand our understanding of the nature of the mental representations and abstract processes required to support variation in language. Originally published as special issue of Linguistic Variation 16:2 (2016)

Analysing Sociolinguistic Variation

Analysing Sociolinguistic Variation
Author: Sali A. Tagliamonte
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 263
Release: 2006-05-11
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1139451324

The study of how language varies in social context, and how it can be analyzed and accounted for, are the key goals of sociolinguistics. Until now, however, the actual tools and methods have been largely passed on through 'word of mouth', rather than being formally documented. This is the first comprehensive 'how to' guide to the formal analysis of sociolinguistic variation. It shows step-by-step how the analysis is carried out, leading the reader through every stage of a research project from start to finish. Topics covered include fieldwork, data organization and management, analysis and interpretation, presenting research results, and writing up a paper. Practical and informal, the book contains all the information needed to conduct a fully-fledged sociolinguistic investigation, and includes exercises, checklists, references and insider tips. It is set to become an essential resource for students, researchers and fieldworkers embarking on research projects in sociolinguistics.

Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation

Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation
Author: Ermenegildo Bidese
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2016-12-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 902726631X

The contributions of this book deal with the issue of language variation. They all share the assumption that within the language faculty the variation space is hierarchically constrained and that minimal changes in the set of property values defining each language give rise to diverse outputs within the same system. Nevertheless, the triggers for language variation can be different and located at various levels of the language faculty. The novelty of the volume lies in exploring different loci of language variation by including wide-ranging empirical perspectives that cover different levels of analysis (syntax, phonology and prosody) and deal with different kinds of data, mostly from Romance and Germanic languages, from dialects, idiolects, language acquisition, language attrition and creolization, analyzed from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. The volume is divided in three parts. The first part is dedicated to synchronic variation in phonology and syntax; the second part deals with diachronic variation and language change, and the third part investigates the role of contact, attrition and acquisition in giving rise to language change and language variation in bilingual settings. This volume is a useful tool for linguistics of diverse theoretical persuasions working on theoretical and comparative linguistics and to anyone interested in language variation, language change, dialectology, language acquisition and typology.