Chapter 2 Methods for a sociolinguistic study of historical syntax
Chapter 3 The history of the relative clause/markers in English with special reference to Middle Scots
Chapter 4 The linguistic variable
Chapter 5 The extralinguistic variables: methods for the reconstruction of language in its social context
Chapter 6 Analysis of the data by two sociolinguistic techniques: cross-product analysis and implicational scaling
Chapter 7 Variable rule analysis of the data
Chapter 8 The bearing of sociolinguistic data on linguistic hypotheses
Chapter 9 On the epistemological status of sociolinguistic theory
Bibliography
Index
Description
Synchronic sociolinguistics has been particularly convincing in its use of quantitative models to demonstrates how 'the present might explain the past'. However, the relevance of sociolinguistics to historical linguistics 'using the past to explain the present', has been largely ignored. In this volume Dr Romaine lays the foundation for a field of research encompassing both historical linguistics and sociolinguistics, which aims to investigate and account for language variation within a particular speech community over time. The socio-historical approach is illustrated here by a detailed analysis of the development of relative clause formation strategies in Middle Scots. This case study raises fundamental questions about the epistemological status of sociolinguistic theory and in particular its claims to an empirical foundation. Her own preliminary suggestions for a truly integrative sociolinguistic theory will be of interest to sociolinguists, historical linguists and general linguists.
From the reviews
"The book is a bold and innovative venture."-- Richard M. Hogg and Richard Coates, Review of English Studies 63(1):35.
"This book is a major contribution to linguistic theory as well as sociolinguistic theory.... Romaine's book is a major theoretical work, addressing many important issues in a thoughtful manner."-- William Croft, Language in Society 15:273-280.
