Language Varieties in Sociolinguistics

LANGUAGE VARIETY

In sociolinguistics, "language variation" refers to any distinctive variety of language or linguistic speech. Linguists use the word "language variety" (or "variety") to describe all the overlapping subcategories of a language, including dialect, regional dialect, jargon, register, accent, idiolects, slangs, pidgin, creole, diglossia, isogloss & dialect boundary, dialectal continuum, prestige, and style.

1. Dialect

A different variant of languages connected to a particular area or social class is referred to as a dialect. It is distinct due to its phonology, pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon. There are several dialects in every language.

Regional dialect and social dialect are two types of dialects that might exist in a language, according to Trudgill (1986).

ü. Social Dialects

Geographical distance is simply one factor in the formation of various dialects in a place; other factors also play a role. It comprises social status, level of education, racial or ethnic heritage, age, and sexual preference.

ü. Regional Dialects

People frequently leave their home countries for new ones for social, economic, and religious reasons. Numerous opportunities for new ideas, languages, cultures and social conventions are presented by this migration. The "language" used by members of civilizations to communicate, whether orally or in writing, is one of the most crucial characteristics of human societies. Different dialects developed as a result of the long-term geographic isolation of communities.

2. Jargon

A professional or occupational specialized language is referred to as jargon. Such language frequently has little sense to outsiders.

Examples:

A medical specialist, such as a cardiologist, might use terms like MRI, dystrophies, cardiac arrest, etc.

In the corporate world, jargon encompasses

• Best practice - the recommended course of action

• Core competency - the fundamental strength of a team or business

• Due diligence - Doing your study before deciding on a business

• Drill down - to carefully examine a problem

3. Register

A speaker's language usage in different situations is referred to as their register. These variations in formality, often known as stylistic diversity in linguistics, are called registers. The three most prevalent linguistic registers in prose are Formalized, Non-formal and Neutral.

4. Accent

The term "accent" is limited to the description of phonological features that reveal a speaker's regional or socioeconomic origins. It differs from the term "dialect," which is used to define elements of pronunciation as well as traits of grammar and vocabulary.

5. Idiolects

Individualistic speech patterns unique to a person make up an idiolect. An idiolect is a linguistic form or language whose characteristics might be too particularized based on a person's inherent characteristics. The vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar are all specialized.

6. Slangs

Slang is an extremely informal type of language that uses original and occasionally offensive words and meanings. Slang is frequently connected to specific social groupings, such as teen or professional groups. Slang is not acceptable in official writing or conversation.

7. Pidgin

A pidgin is a type of language that emerged among groups of people who had a lot of connections but did not speak one another's languages for some practical reason, like trading. Native speakers wouldn't be present. The phrase "pidgin" is said to have originated from a Chinese translation of the English word "business."

8. Creole

A pidgin is referred to as a creole when it progresses past its status as commerce or contact language and becomes the primary language of a social community. Children who grow up in a pidgin-using community learn creole as their first language, and as it is used more for communication, it gets increasingly complicated.

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