Syntax and Language Variation

The revised edition of Sociolinguistic Theory presents a critical synthesis of sociolinguistics, centering on the study of language variation and change. A revised introduction to sociolinguistic th

What does linguistic diversity tell us about the human mind? In the comprehensive volume Diversity in Language, a renowned team of contributors assess the intricacies of linguistic variation. From his

This book has been shortlisted for an ESSE book award 2012 in English Language and Linguistics, Junior Scholars. This volume approaches the analysis of variation in English from diachronic, diatopic,

World Englishes is one of the most active fields of present day linguistic research. This book provides a comprehensive overview of variation in English across the globe, by analysing a large corpus of texts from the English speaking world. The analysis draws on a larger number of individual texts and linguistic features than previous studies have done. It includes a systematic comparison of the influence of register and national variety on variation in English world-wide, and explores patterns of variation in both qualitative and quantitative terms. The results provide a testing ground for theoretical models, and highlight the importance of register in mediating linguistic differences across national varieties.

Plunging into the verbal quagmire of official language used by bureaucrats in both government and business, distinguished linguist Roger W. Shuy develops new techniques based on linguistic principles

Sociolinguistic Styles presents a new and in-depth, historically rooted overview of the phenomenon of style-shifting in sociolinguistic variation. Written by an internationally acclaimed expert in the

This reader brings together a variety of original work ranging from explorations in dialect variation to language attitudes and stereotyping, multilingualism and face-to-face interaction. The second e

Communication across Cultures explores how cultural context affects the use and (mis)interpretation of language. It provides an accessible and interdisciplinary introduction to language and language variation in intercultural communication by drawing on both classic and cutting-edge research from pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology and politeness studies. This new edition has been comprehensively updated to incorporate recent research, with an emphasis on the fluid and emergent practice of intercultural communication. It provides increased coverage of variation in language within and between cultures, drawing on real-world examples of spoken and written communication. The authors review classic concepts like 'face', 'politeness' and 'speech acts', but also critique these concepts and introduce more recent approaches. Each chapter provides a set of suggested readings, questions and exercises to enable the student to work through concepts and consoli

Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines to assess the use and meaning of language in the South, a region rich in dialects and variants, this comprehensive edited collection reflects the

Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines to assess the use and meaning of language in the South, a region rich in dialects and variants, this comprehensive edited collection reflects the

This book, by leading scholars, represents some of the main work in progress in biolinguistics. It offers fresh perspectives on language evolution and variation, new developments in theoretical lingui

This book presents an in-depth study of English as spoken in two major anglophone Caribbean territories, Jamaica and Trinidad. Based on data from the International Corpus of English, it focuses on variation at the morphological and syntactic level between the educated standard and more informal educated spoken usage. Dagmar Deuber combines quantitative analyses across several text categories with qualitative analyses of transcribed text passages that are grounded in interactional sociolinguistics and recent approaches to linguistic style and identity. The discussion is situated in the context of variation in the Caribbean and the wider context of world Englishes, and the sociolinguistic background of Jamaica and Trinidad is also explored. This volume will be of interest to students and researchers interested in the fields of sociolinguistics, world Englishes, and language contact.

This book presents an in-depth study of English as spoken in two major anglophone Caribbean territories, Jamaica and Trinidad. Based on data from the International Corpus of English, it focuses on variation at the morphological and syntactic level between the educated standard and more informal educated spoken usage. Dagmar Deuber combines quantitative analyses across several text categories with qualitative analyses of transcribed text passages that are grounded in interactional sociolinguistics and recent approaches to linguistic style and identity. The discussion is situated in the context of variation in the Caribbean and the wider context of world Englishes, and the sociolinguistic background of Jamaica and Trinidad is also explored. This volume will be of interest to students and researchers interested in the fields of sociolinguistics, world Englishes, and language contact.

This book provides a systematic study of sociolinguistic variation in seventeenth-century France. Drawing on a range of case studies, Wendy Ayres-Bennett makes available data about linguistic variation in this period, showing the wealth and variety of language usage at a time that is considered to be the most 'standardising' in the history of French. Variation is analysed in terms of the speaker's 'pre-verbal constitution' - such as gender, age and socio-economic status - or by the medium, register or genre used. As well as examining linguistic variation itself, the book also considers the fundamental methodological issues that are central to all socio-historical linguistic accounts and, more importantly, addresses the question of what the appropriate sources are for linguists taking a socio-historical approach. In each chapter, the case studies present a range of phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical issues, which pose different methodological questions for sociolinguists

This textbook provides a critical introduction to major research topics and current approaches in linguistic typology, the study of structural variation in human language and of the limits on that var

This textbook provides a critical introduction to major research topics and current approaches in linguistic typology, the study of structural variation in human language and of the limits on that var

The status of Hong Kong English has been an increasing concern among the local population. Despite prolific research into attitudes towards language variation within the field of sociolinguistics in g

Descriptions of new varieties of European languages in postcolonial contexts have focused exceedingly on system-based indigenisation and variation. This volume–while further illustrating processes and

"Languages show variations according to the social class of speakers, and Latin was no exception, as readers of Petronius are aware. The Romance languages have traditionally been regarded as developin

Among the most prolifically treated topics in grammaticalization approaches to semantic change is the development of periphrastic past constructions, particularly the 'have'-perfects in Romance and ot

The third edition of this established textbook has been thoroughly updated and revised. It maintains its broad coverage of topics from phonetics to language variation, and increases its accessibility

The notion of communicative space forms the general theoretical leitmotif of this volume. Within communicative spaces of all kinds, the contributors present their views and research on language variat

Hasan taught stylistics, culture, semantic variation, and similar subjects at universities in England, America, and Australia before retiring from Macquarie University, in Australia, in 1994. Here she

Looking at language variation in French using linguistic data that has emerged in recent years from France, Belgium and Switzerland, and comparing it to other European countries, this comparative stu

The series provides a comprehensive forum for publications in linguistics covering the entire range of language, including its variation and variability in space and time, its acquisition, theories on

Bassiouney examines language variation used in monologues--political speeches, mosque sermons and university lectures--in the Egyptian speech community in the 1990s and its motivations. The author inv

It is the study of genetic variation, backed up by language and archaeology, which provides evidence about the spread of farming, the movements of peoples across the globe, the precise links between r

Variation and variability are the common themes as the 14 selected papers explore the language that came between Old English and Modern English. Among their topics are Middle English annotated corpora

Because students in U.S. schools represent a rich array of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, issues concerning language variation are vital for educational practitioners. Comprehensive and authorit

Because students in U.S. schools represent a rich array of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, issues concerning language variation are vital for educational practitioners. Comprehensive and authorit

First published in 1987, this atlas identifies structural patterns which exist in the sound systems of the dialects of England. It regards variation, not as something to be ignored or avoided, but as

This book, by leading scholars, represents some of the main work in progress in biolinguistics. It offers fresh perspectives on language evolution and variation, new developments in theoretical lingui

One of the first accounts of social variation in language, this groundbreaking study founded the discipline of sociolinguistics, providing the model on which thousands of studies have been based. In t

One of the first accounts of social variation in language, this groundbreaking study founded the discipline of sociolinguistics, providing the model on which thousands of studies have been based. In t