Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Sociolinguistics
Linguistic Variation
The term linguistic variation (or simply variation) refers to
regional, social, or contextual differences in the ways that a
particular language is used.
Variation between languages, dialects, and speakers is known
as interspeaker variation. Variation within the language of a
single speaker is called intraspeaker variation.
Since the rise of sociolinguistics in the 1960s, interest in
linguistic variation (also called linguistic variability) has
developed rapidly.
All aspects of language (including phonemes, morphemes, syntactic structures,
and meanings) are subject to variation.
■ See Examples and Observations below. Also see:
■ Language Variety
■ Lect
■ Accent
■ Dialect and Dialectology
■ Diglossia
Linguistic variation
"Furthermore, it has been discovered that variation is typically the vehicle of language
change."
(R.L. Trask, Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. Routledge, 1999/2005)
- "Lexical variables are fairly straightforward, as long as we can show that the two variants--
such as the choice between soda and pop for a carbonated beverage in American English--
refer to the same entity. Thus, in the case of soda and pop, we need to take into account that
for many U.S. southerners, Coke(when used to refer to a beverage and not the steel-making
fuel or the illicit narcotic) has the same referent as soda, whereas in other parts of the
U.S., Cokerefers to a single brand/flavour of the beverage . . .."
(Scott F. Kiesling, Linguistic Variation and Change. Edinburgh University Press, 2011)
Structure and Culture in Classroom
Conversation