Sociolinguistic variation in seventeenth-century France: methodology and case studies

This book provides a systematic study of sociolinguistic variation in seventeenth-century France. Drawing on a range of case studies, Wendy Ayres-Bennett makes available data about linguistic variation in this period, showing the wealth and variety of language usage at a time that is considered to be the most ‘standardising’ in the history of French. Variation is analysed in terms of the speaker’s ‘pre-verbal constitution’ - such as gender, age and socio-economicstatus - or by the medium, register or genre used. As well as examining linguistic variation itself, the book also considers the fundamental methodologicalissues that are central to all socio-historical linguistic accounts and, moreimportantly, addresses the question of what the appropriate sources are for linguists taking a socio-historical approach. In each chapter, the case studiespresent a range of phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical issues,which pose different methodological questions for sociolinguists and historical linguists alike. INDICE: 1. Introduction: methodological issues; 2. Spoken and written French; 3. Social and stylistic variation; 4. Women's language; 5. Age, variation and change; 6. Conclusion.

• ISBN: 978-0-521-12903-9
• Editorial: Cambridge University
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 280
• Fecha Publicación: 04/02/2010
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés