Principles of Linguistic Change

Volume III: Cognitive and Cultural Factors

Labov, William

Language in Society

1. Edition October 2010
448 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-4051-1215-4

John Wiley & Sons

Wiley Online Library Sample Chapter

Short Description

This third volume of the Principles of Linguistic Change set examines the cognitive and cultural causes responsible for linguistic change, and traces the history of these developments, from triggering events to driving forces and endpoints. Labov looks deeply into questions of linguistic change, focusing on the cognitive factors, and exploring social influences in the development of large-scale cultural patterns. Written by the pioneering researcher of sociolinguistic inquiry, this is an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students in the field.

Further versions

Written by the world-renowned pioneer in the field of modern sociolinguistics, this volume examines the cognitive and cultural factors responsible for linguistic change, tracing the life history of these developments, from triggering events to driving forces and endpoints.
* Explores the major insights obtained by combining sociolinguistics with the results of dialect geography on a large scale
* Examines the cognitive and cultural influences responsible for linguistic change
* Demonstrates under what conditions dialects diverge from one another
* Establishes an essential distinction between transmission within the community and diffusion across communities
* Completes Labov's seminal Principles of Linguistic Change trilogy

List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Preface
Abbreviations
1. Introduction to Cognitive and Cultural Factors in Linguistic Change
Part I: Cross-Dialectal Comprehension:
2. Natural Misunderstandings
3. A Controlled Experiment on Vowel Identification
4. The Gating Experiments
Part II: The Life History of Linguistic Change:
5. Triggering Events
6. Governing Principles
7. Forks in the Road
8. Divergence
9. Driving Forces
10. Yankee Cultural Imperialism and the Northern Cities Shift
11. Social Evaluation of the Northern Cities Shift
12. Endpoints
Part III: The Unit of Linguistic Change:
13. Words Floating on the Surface of Sound Change
14. The Binding Force in Segmental Phonology
Part IV: Transmission and Diffusion:
15. The Diffusion of Language from Place to Place
16. The Diffusion of Language from Group to Group
17. Conclusion
Notes
References
Index

William Labov is Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Linguistics Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania. His major studies include The Social Stratification of English in New York City (1966), Sociolinguistic Patterns (1972), Language in the Inner City (1972), Principles of Linguistic Change: Internal Factors (Wiley-Blackwell, 1994) and Principles of Linguistic Change, Volume 2: Social Factors (Wiley-Blackwell, 2001). With S. Ash and C. Boberg, he published the Atlas of North American English in 2006.

W. Labov, University of Pennsylvania, USA