Verbal Repertoire

Verbal Repertoire

Languages Dialects

RegionalSocial

StylesFormal Informal

Registers Trudgill, Peter. 2000. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society, 4th edition. London: Penguin Books, p. 81.

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Context of Situation

1. I’m going to give you a prescription for the pain.

2. Cream together butter, sugar and beaten yolks until smooth.

3. New Tubifast. The tubular dressing retention bandage. No sticking. No tying. No pinning.

4. Beauty of Velvet at truly Budget Prices. In 16 colours. Send now for full details and actual fabric samples. Montgomery, Martin. 1995. An Introduction to Language and Society, second

edition. London: Routledge, p. 106. 2/18

Context-Constrained Language Use

Where talk takes place (Physical setting)

When talk takes place (Occasion; Event)

Who you talk to (Interlocutors)

What you talk about (Register; Topic)

How used (Medium)

Level of formality (Style)

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Guess the Context

吾欲之北京。 What does it mean? Who said it? To whom? Where? When? How? (written/spoken)

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Register / Jargon

三百六十行，行行有行話。

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Second Person Singular Personal Pronouns

Familiar Polite

French tu vousItalian tu LeiSpanish tú / vosotros usted / ustedesGerman du / ihr Sie Dutch jij uSwedish du niNorwegian du DeGreek esi esisRussian ty vy

Trudgill, Peter. 2000. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society, 4th edition. London: Penguin Books, p. 90.

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Korean Suffixes Marked for Status

Intimate: -naFamiliar: -ePlain: -taPolite: -e yoDeferential: -supnitaAuthoritative: -so


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Written vs. Spoken Language

Written Language IF FORMAL:

1. Longer more complex sentences.

Variety of sentence types

2. Carefully selected vocabulary.

Don’t repeat; Usage rules

3. Standard forms

4. Correct spellings

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Written Language IF FORMAL:

5. Adherence to particular grammar rules

Agreement

Prepositions not at end of sentence

Not splitting infinitives

6. Coherence and Cohesion

7. Limited (if any) feedback

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Spoken Language

IF FORMAL, then all of the above

IF CASUAL, few of the above

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Formal / Informal Sentence Pairs

I require your attendance to be punctual. I want you to come on time.

Father was somewhat fatigued after his lengthy journey. Dad was pretty tired after his long trip.

A not inconsiderable amount of time was expended on the task. The job took a long time.


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Labov's Elicitation of Four Levels of Formality

Most Formal

WLS Word list style

RPS Reading passage style

FS Formal Speech

CS Casual Speech

Least Formal

Trudgill, Peter. 2000. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society, 4th edition. London: Penguin Books, pp. 86-88.

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Labov’s Study of Non-Prevocalic /r/ in New York City

See graph in textbook.

WLS Word List Style RPS Reading Passage Style

FS Formal Speech CS Casual Speech

Trudgill, Peter. 1995. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society, third edition. London: Penguin Books, p. 88.

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Switching from Scots Dialect to Standard Scots English

I’ve kenned yon man eight years.

I’ve known that man eight years.

Trudgill, Peter. 2000. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society, 4th edition. London: Penguin Books, pp. 94-95.

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Diglossia

“Diglossia is a particular kind of language standardization where two distinct varieties of a language exist side by side throughout the speech community (not just in the case of a particular group of speakers, such as working-class Scots), and where each of the two varieties is assigned a definite social function.”


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DiglossiaContexts for Variety Selection

High Variety Low VarietySermons Conversation with family and friendsFormal letters Radio serialsPolitical speeches Political and academic

discussionsUniversity lectures Political cartoonsNews broadcasts ‘Folk’ literatureNewspaper editorials‘High’ poetry `


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Direct Address Forms: With Dispensation

Dixon, Franklin W. 1970. Dixon, Franklin W. 1970. The Melted CoinsThe Melted Coins. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, . New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, p. 15. (Previously 1944)p. 15. (Previously 1944)

Situation 1: Teenager Frank Hardy addresses older Rod Jimerson politely. Jimerson gives Frank permission to call him by his first name.

Jimerson: "No, I wouldn't say that. There's a lot to tell, but I've got to get back to work." He glanced at his watch and added, "Where are you fellows staying? Maybe I could meet you tonight."Frank: "Okay," Frank said, and gave the Indian their address. "I know you're not getting paid to bat the breeze, Mr. Jimerson."Jimerson: "Rod."Frank: "Good enough, Rod." Frank shook his hand. "Suppose we meet at the motel at nine."Jimerson: "Suits me."

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Indirect Address Forms: Without Dispensation

Situation 2: The setting is 1951 New England. Margie Hartwell, a young teenage girl, addresses an older woman by her first name.

Her visitor was now standing in full view. "Yes?" Fredericka said coldly. "Oh," said the girl, looking up. "You must be Fredericka Wing.“ "I am. And who, if I may ask, are you?" In spite of herself, Fredericka was annoyed at the use of her first name by the stranger, and her annoyance was not relieved by the sight of the unprepossessing girl who stared back at her. Young, certainly not more than sixteen, sullen, untidy, her too-full face blotched with patches of crimson acne.

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Norton, Andre and Grace Allen Hogarth. 1992. Norton, Andre and Grace Allen Hogarth. 1992. Sneeze on SundaySneeze on Sunday. New York: . New York: TOR: A Tom Doherty Associates Book, p. 15.TOR: A Tom Doherty Associates Book, p. 15.

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Verbal Repertoire