Meaning and linguistic variation : the third wave in sociolinguistics / Penelope Eckert

Part I. Beginnings -- Gascon -- Stigma and meaning in language shift -- Part II. My participation in the second wave -- Jocks and burnouts -- Jocks, burnouts and sound change -- The local and the extra-local -- On the outs -- Foregrounding style -- Part III. The third wave -- The SLIC generation -- The nature of indexicality in variation -- What kinds of signs are these? -- The semiotic landscape.

Linguistic styles particularly variations in pronunciation, carry a wide range of meaning - from speakers' socio-economic class to their mood or stance in the moment. This book examines the development of the study of sociolinguistic variation, from early demographic studies to a focus on the construction of social meaning in stylistic practice. It traces the development of the 'Third Wave' approach to sociolinguistic variation, uncovering the stylistic practices that underlie broad societal patterns of change. Eckert charts the development of her thinking and of the emergence of a theoretical community around the 'Third Wave' approach to social meaning. Featuring brand new material alongside earlier seminal work, it provides a coherent account of the social meaning of linguistic variation.