0

I'm trying to understand the meaning of linguistic variation. What are some linguistic variations and how are they different from the definition of identity? I mean, if someone speaks American English vs someone who speaks British English, that is considered a dialect variation. But your dialect is part of your identity, no?

Dimitri
  • 103
  • 4

1 Answers1

2

Many other things are also part of your identity, though. It's pretty useful to have a separate concept for just linguistic variation.

Linguistic variation also includes many other levels of difference. Not only dialect (which has various meanings, including your hometown, your region, your nation), but also your personal variety (idiolect), and many shared sub-categories of e.g. your family, your group of friends, your office, your school; plus various ethnic/culture categories (including things like registers).

Jeremy Needle
  • 2,522
  • 1
  • 13
  • 13
  • So in essence, is it a technical term describing these things? The portion of "variation" means how a language differs from a norm? Or is it a comparative aspect between you and others around you? – Dimitri Nov 20 '13 at 16:46
  • Is what a technical term? *Variation* means all of the above. Any significant measurable variation(s) in real (i.e, spoken) language are linguistic variation. So is variation in writing, but that's all mixed up with other phenomena, too, since it's not biological like real language. Sociolinguists are always looking for new variation(s), and new types of variation, like socioeconomic 'dialects'. – jlawler Nov 20 '13 at 18:49
  • @jlawler: Writing is not real language? And spoken language is biological? – Cerberus Nov 20 '13 at 20:52
  • @Dimitri: That's essentially correct. Pick a norm (which might be one or more specific individuals, and describe how the target differs. From there, linguists take many paths attempting to explain the observed variation: random chance, intentional identity work, peer influence, biology (e.g., age, sex, pathology), and so on. – Jeremy Needle Nov 22 '13 at 15:43