That is, to say that women use a particular speaking style more than men do is akin to saying that men are taller than women (i.e., men are on average taller than women, but some women are taller than some men). Linguistic repertoire: a person's (or community's) linguistic resources. Chapter 7: Language variation 4 MAP 1.The main Fulani of West Africa are dark (blue) on the map. Similarly, languages can undergo changes caused by contact with speakers of other languages, and new language varieties may be born from these contact situations through the process of language genesis. Definition of linguistics. Variation is a characteristic of language: there is more than one way of saying the same thing. (2001) Fasold, Ralph. One example of subgroup vernacular is the speech of street youth. A huff of exasperation during a debate or a grin while signing "hello" speaks volumes. 3) Vernacular This is a term which refers to the language spoken naturally by the inhabitants of a country as opposed to a possible classical language which may have a position of dominance in cultural or ecclesiastical spheres.

They are determined by such factors as social occasion, 

Portal. Communities of African Americans and Whites have been popularVery little attention has been paid to Asian American speech despite the rise in Labov, William, Cohen, Paul, Robins, Clarence, & Lewis, John. The reasons for this are the following: (1) To enhance their own cultural identity (2) To identify with each other, (3) To exclude others, and (4) To invoke feelings of fear or admiration from the outside world.People tend to use linguistic forms that were prevalent when they reached adulthood. Speakers may shift styles, as their perception of an event in progress changes. In sociolinguistics a variety, also called a lect, is a specific form of a language or language cluster. (2006) "The politics of language." Dialect definition is - a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language. Indeed, the term  (2001) "Language in social contexts." After the caller identifies herself, the receptionist recognizes that she is speaking to a friend, and she shifts to an informal register of For scholars who view language from the perspective of "Lect" redirects here. Diachronic. Sociolinguistics, the study of the sociological aspects of language.The discipline concerns itself with the part language plays in maintaining the social roles in a community.Sociolinguists attempt to isolate those linguistic features that are used in particular situations and that mark the various social relationships among the participants and the significant elements of the situation. In W. O'Grady, J. Archibald, M. Aronoff and J. Rees-Miller (eds) Schilling-Estes, Natalies. The language varieties, or lects, that people speak often serve as the basis for judgment, and even exclusion, from certain social groups, professions, and business organizations. In sociolinguistics, language variety—also called lect —is a general term for any distinctive form of a language or linguistic expression. A commonly studied source of variation is regional Men and women, on average, tend to use slightly different language styles. Linguists consequently are concerned with a number of particular questions about the nature of language. The neutrality of the term variety must be stressed.

Linguistics definition, the science of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and historical linguistics. Linguists commonly use language variety (or simply variety) as a cover term for any of the overlapping subcategories of a language, including dialect , register , … Registers are used in all forms of communication, including written, spoken, and signed. “It begins with the simple act of noticing a variation – that there are two alternative ways of saying the same thing” [1] Labov’s quote here is pretty self-explanatory of what sociolinguistic variation is: it is simply different words, sounds and language people use to explain the same thing.. So, in the case of linguistic change in progress, one would expect to see variation over a broader range of ages. Languages can undergo internal changes which lead to the development of subvarieties such as linguistic registers, accents, and dialects. For an individual, depends on social history & social networks. n. A social or regional variety of speech having a sociolinguistic or functional identity within a speech community. v • d • e. In sociolinguistics a variety, also called a lect, is a form of a language used by speakers of that language. Depending on grammar, syntax, and tone, the register may be extremely rigid or very intimate.

Sociolinguists investigate whether this linguistic variation can be attributed to differences in the Studies of language variation and its correlation with Analyzing sociolinguistic variation often involves the use of statistical programs to handle its multi-variable nature. Just as street youth dress differently from the "norm", they also often have their own "language". Due to this kind of dialectic prejudice, Suzanne Romaine, in "Language in Society," notes: "Many : the study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and modification of language. (1980) "'Women’s Language' or 'powerless language'?" Some regional dialects have been given traditional names which mark them out as being significantly different from standard varieties spoken in the same place. 7.2.2 Dialect It is generally assumed that Fula is a language, that is, a single language, with a number of dialects.In this sense, a dialect is regarded as a geographical variety of a language, spoken in a certain area, and being different in some linguistic items from Varieties of language develop for a number of reasons: differences can come about for geographical reasons; people who live in different geographic areas often develop distinct dialects—variations of standard English. (eds)

A prestigious variety is one that is socially widely accepted and most highly valued.