William Labov Quotes

United States, Linguist
December 4, 1927

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 a professor emeritus in the linguistics department of the University of Pennsylvania, and pursues research in sociolinguistics, language change, and dialectology. He retired at the end of spring 2014.

Also known as Professor, Sociologist, Founder

This African American Vernacular English shares most of its grammar and vocabulary with other dialects of English. But it is distinct in many ways, and it is more different from standard English than any other dialect spoken in continental North America.

William Labov
- Different
- America
- Share
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 of the 20th century.

William Labov
- Slavery
- Creation
- Form

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 mainstream and minority communities.

William Labov
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 and there.

William Labov
- Country
- America
- Europe
However, research in the years that followed found that in many of its important features, African American Vernacular English was becoming not less, but more different from other dialects.

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

William Labov
- Different
- Focus
- Areas
Well, American dialects have been studied for a hundred years or so.

William Labov
- Years
- Wells
- Hundred
I have resisted the term sociolinguistics for many years, since it implies that there can be a successful linguistic theory or practice which is not social.

William Labov

An important aspect of the current situation is the strong social reaction against suggestions that the home language of African American children be used in the first steps of learning to read and write.

William Labov
- Writing
- Children
- Home