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9 quotes by William Labov

William Labov (/ləˈboʊv/ lə-BOHV; born December 4, 1927) is an American linguist, widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics. He has been described as "an enormously original and influential figure who has created much of the methodology" of sociolinguistics. He is employed as a professor in the linguistics department of the University of Pennsylvania, and pursues research in sociolinguistics, language...
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But unlike European countries, America has never finished a map of the United States, only the eastern United States is covered and a few spots here... →

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An important aspect of the current situation is the strong social reaction against suggestions that the home language of African American children be... →

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I am now completing research supported by NSF and NEH that is mapping changes in the English language through all of North America, for both... →

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It appears that the present-day form of African American English is not the inheritance of the period of slavery, but the creation of the second half... →

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This African American Vernacular English shares most of its grammar and vocabulary with other dialects of English. But it is distinct in many ways... →

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We focus upon pairs of words very often which are the same in some areas and different in other areas.

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Well, American dialects have been studied for a hundred years or so.

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And instead of getting a pepper-and-salt effect, we find very clear and sharp divisions between the dialects of the United States, which are getting... →

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However, research in the years that followed found that in many of its important features, African American Vernacular English was becoming not less... →

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