Meaning and Linguistic Variation
The Third Wave in Sociolinguistics

An important new study of the social meaning of sociolinguistic variation.

Penelope Eckert (Author)

9781107122970, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 July 2018

220 pages, 22 b/w illus. 6 tables
23.6 x 15.7 x 1.5 cm, 0.43 kg

Linguistic styles particularly variations in pronunciation, carry a wide range of meaning - from speakers' socio-economic class to their mood or stance in the moment. This book examines the development of the study of sociolinguistic variation, from early demographic studies to a focus on the construction of social meaning in stylistic practice. It traces the development of the 'Third Wave' approach to sociolinguistic variation, uncovering the stylistic practices that underlie broad societal patterns of change. Eckert charts the development of her thinking and of the emergence of a theoretical community around the 'Third Wave' approach to social meaning. Featuring brand new material alongside earlier seminal work, it provides a coherent account of the social meaning of linguistic variation.

Part I. Beginnings and Gascon: 1. The paradox of national language movements
2. Diglossia: separate and unequal
3. Back home
Part II. Jocks, Burnouts and the Second Wave: 4. Clothing and geography in a suburban high school
5. Sound change and adolescent social structure
6. The local and the extra-local
7. Variation and a sense of place
8. On the outs
9. Communities of practice
10. Liberated by gender
11. The whole woman: sex and gender differences in variation
12. Style
13. Variation and personal/group style
14. Back to elementary school
15. Vowels and nailpolish: the emergence of linguistic style in the preadolescent heterosexual marketplace
Part III. The Third Wave: 16. Demystifying sexuality and desire
17. /t/ release and beyond
18. Agency
19. Elephants in the room
20. The nature of indexicality in variation
21. Variation and the indexical field
22. What kinds of signs are these?
23. Where do ethnolects stop?
24. The semiotic landscape
25. Spreading vs circulation
26. Where do we go from here?

Subject Areas: Anthropology [JHM], Sociolinguistics [CFB], Linguistics [CF]