Social Meaning and Linguistic Variation

Theorizing the Third Wave

Lauren Hall-Lew (University of Edinburgh), Emma Moore (University of Sheffield), Robert J. Podesva (Stanford University, California)

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English

Cambridge University Press
07 March 2024

Sociolinguistics; Sociology; Anthropology

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.

Edited by: Lauren Hall-Lew (University of Edinburgh), Emma Moore (University of Sheffield), Robert J. Podesva (Stanford University, California)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781108458061
ISBN 10: 1108458068
Pages: 404
Publication Date: 07 March 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Social Meaning and Linguistic Variation: Theoretical Foundations Lauren Hall-Lew, Emma Moore and Robert J. Podesva; Part I. Where is (Social) Meaning?: 2. Social Meaning and Sound Change Lauren Hall-Lew, Amanda Cardoso and Emma Davies; 3. The Social Meaning of Syntax Emma Moore; 4. The Social Meaning of Semantic Properties Andrea Beltrama and Laura Staum Casasanto; 5. Pragmatics and the Third Wave: The Social Meaning of Definites Eric K. Acton; 6. The Cognitive Structure behind Indexicality: Correlations in Tasks Linking /s/ Variation and Masculinity Kathryn Campbell-Kibler; Part II. The Structure of Social Meaning: 7. Sociolinguistic Signs as Cognitive Representations Annette D'Onofrio; 8. Perceptions of Style: A Focus on Fundamental Frequency and Perceived Social Characteristics Katie Drager, Kate Hardeman Guthrie, Rachel Schutz and Ivan Chik; 9. Features, Meanings, and Indexical Fields Marie Maegaard and Nicolai Pharao; 10. Reconciling Seemingly Conflicting Social Meanings Roey J. Gafter; 11. Biographical Indexicality: Personal History as a Frame of Reference for Social Meaning in Variation Devyani Sharma; Part III. Meaning and Linguistic Change: 12. Emergence of Social Meaning in Sociolinguistic Change Qing Zhang; 13. Multiethnolect and Dialect in and across Communities Pia Quist; 14. Changing Language, Changing Character Types Rebecca Lurie Starr; 15. Social Meaning and the Temporal Dynamics of Sound Change Meredith Tamminga; 16. The Role of the Body in Language Change Robert J. Podesva; 17. Afterword Penelope Eckert.

Lauren Hall-Lew is Reader in Linguistics and English Language, University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on differences in speech among speakers of different social backgrounds and in different social contexts. Emma Moore is Professor of Sociolinguistics and British Academy Mid-Career Fellow (2019–2020). She researches the social meaning of syntax and has edited three other CUP volumes: Analysing Older English (2011); Language and A Sense of Place (2017); and Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax (2019). Robert J. Podesva is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Stanford University, where he directs the Interactional Sociophonetics Laboratory. His research examines the social significance of phonetic variation and its role in the construction of identity. He is co-editor (with Devyani Sharma) of Research Methods in Linguistics.

Reviews for Social Meaning and Linguistic Variation: Theorizing the Third Wave

'… this is an excellent volume of data-driven research that helps answer cutting-edge questions relating to social meaning, which should inspire a new generation of sociolinguists to advance our understanding of the topic in the future.' Roy Alderton, Language in Society