Dialect Diversity in America: The Politics of Language Change (Page-Barbour Lectures)
In this compelling study William Labov confirms his reputation as a brilliant and pathbreaking analyst of linguistic change. Particularly arresting is his approach to the Northern Cities Shift, which he relates to the settlement of upstate New York and the Great Lakes area, where socially activist Yankees established a persisting cultural pattern that has shaped the processes of dialect divergence. Linguists and historians alike will find here much to admire and ponder.(Richard Carwardine, President, Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford)Labov demonstrates that he is not simply the leading sociolinguist of the past century, but that his research is relevant to the American public. He challenges one of the most cherished, commonsense assumptions about the English language—that American dialects are becoming more homogenized—by demonstrating how linguistic and social factors have conspired to make regional and ethnic dialects in the United States more divergent than ever. An amazing, powerful message!(Walt Wolfram, North Carolina Language and Life Project, North Carolina State University)In 1972, three linguists, led by William Labov of the University of Pennsylvania, christened the phenomenon... the Northern Cities Shift (NCS). What they observed may be the most important change in English pronunciation in centuries.(Slate)A clear-eyed overview of recent language changes in the United States and their connection to regional and national politics.(Shelf Awareness)In this well-written volume, the author draws on years of linguistic studies to demonstrate how and why the speech of Americans is diverging so sharply and how that is changing perceptions of dialect speakers.... A fascinating study from a distinguished scholar.(Choice)