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Normativity in Language and Linguistics
Edited by Aleksi Mäkilähde, Ville Leppänen and Esa Itkonen
[Studies in Language Companion Series 209] 2019
► pp. 183–212

Linguistic variation and change

A normative approach

This chapter offers a preliminary examination of linguistic variation and change from the normative perspective. Both key aspects of normativity, correctness and rationality, are discussed in the context of theoretical discussion and demonstrated by concrete examples drawn from the existing literature on normativity, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics. The goal is to show, how linguistic variation and change can be understood as empirical phenomena involving norms as constitutive (as opposed to merely evaluative or prescriptive) entities in the ontology of language. Of the three variation types thus identified, only the one involving indeterminable correctness appears central to language change. Finally, language change is conceptualized and discussed as a process of norm change (i.e. as an appearance, disappearance or replacement of norms).

Keywords: variation, change, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, norms, normativity
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: Normativity, variation, and change
  • 2.Metatheoretical foundations of sociolinguistics and historical linguistics
    • 2.1Defining linguistic variation
    • 2.2Defining language change
    • 2.3Rational explanation
  • 3.Conceptualizing variation in normative terms
    • 3.1Types of linguistic variation
    • 3.2Variation and norms
    • 3.3Norms and the speech community
    • 3.4Statistical description and a methodological note
  • 4.Ontology of language change
    • 4.1Change of norms, innovation and propagation
    • 4.2The “ontological leap” and the role of statistics
    • 4.3Phases of norm change: Methodological considerations
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 4 December 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.209.07lep
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