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An Investigation of Language Variation and Change Among Three Age-Groups: A Case Study

Received: 5 March 2017    Accepted: 13 March 2017    Published: 5 April 2017
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Abstract

Despite the hostile view and belief toward the inclusion of language use in linguistic study and theorizing by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, some linguists have revolutionized linguistics. They authentically showed the importance to account for the social factors in linguistic theory. Indeed, the progress of research in linguistics in general and sociolinguistics in particular has led many linguists to stress the fact that no language is a monolithic and homogeneous (e.g. Bell 1976). In their view, language is a heterogeneous and dynamic system. Sociolinguists, therefore, aim to relate language and language users to the speech community where people interact. The present study is a sociolinguistic investigation which aims to relate linguistic aspects to other social aspects to examine certain linguistic features in Algerian Arabic, a variety which reflects linguistic variation in apparent time that rightly correspond to language change in real time in Sidi Bel Abbes speech community. This city is part of a diglossic and multilingual society- Algeria. As a matter of fact, our study tackles a problematic issue: How can the social changes (extra- linguistic factors) bring about changes in the linguistic system and how can individuals’ speech differences make people themselves distinct on the ground of their affiliation to a certain social group? To explore the issue from a sociolinguistic angle, concrete data have been collected from different real set-ups, aiming to provide true evidence to our scope: language variation that leads to change, change in progress and completed change.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 5, Issue 3-1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Arabic Sociolinguistics

DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14
Page(s) 24-35
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Language Variation, Language Change, Apparent and Real Time, Vernacular, Sociolinguistic Quantitative Paradigm, Linguistic Variable

References
[1] Bell R. (1976.) Socio- linguistics: Goals, Approaches and Problems. B. T Batsford LTD: United Kingdom.
[2] Benrabah, M.(1999.) "Les Filles contre les mères". In: Les Parlers Urbains. LIDIL. Revue de Linguistique et de Didactique des Langues 19, 11-28 Université Stendhal de Grenoble.
[3] Chambers, J. K. and Trudgill, P. (1998.) Dialectology. CUP: Cambridge.
[4] Dépleteau, F. (2000.) La Démarche d’une Recherche en Science Humaines. Québec: De Boeck Université.
[5] De Saussure, F. Cours de linguistique Générale. Bally, et al. (Eds.) (1982.) Payot: Paris.
[6] Downes, W. (1998.) (2ndEd.) Language and Society. CUP: Cambridge.
[7] Ferguson, C. A. (1959.)"Diglossia". In: Word 15, 325-40.
[8] Jahoda, M., Deutsch, M., and Cook, S. W. (1951.) (6thEd.) Research Methods in Social Relations. Part one: Basic Processes. The Dryden press: New York.
[9] Labov, W. (1972.) Sociolinguistic Patterns. Pennsylvania University Press: Philadelphia.
[10] Milroy, J, and Milroy, L. (1993.) "Mechanisms of Change in Urban Dialects: the role of class, social network and gender". International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 3, 57-78.
[11] Wolfram, W. 2006. Variation and Language: Overview. In Elsevier Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, ed. K. Brown, 333-341. 2nded. Oxford: Elsevier.
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  • APA Style

    Abbassia Belahcen, Ghania Ouahmiche. (2017). An Investigation of Language Variation and Change Among Three Age-Groups: A Case Study. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 5(3-1), 24-35. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14

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    ACS Style

    Abbassia Belahcen; Ghania Ouahmiche. An Investigation of Language Variation and Change Among Three Age-Groups: A Case Study. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2017, 5(3-1), 24-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14

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    AMA Style

    Abbassia Belahcen, Ghania Ouahmiche. An Investigation of Language Variation and Change Among Three Age-Groups: A Case Study. Int J Lang Linguist. 2017;5(3-1):24-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14,
      author = {Abbassia Belahcen and Ghania Ouahmiche},
      title = {An Investigation of Language Variation and Change Among Three Age-Groups: A Case Study},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {5},
      number = {3-1},
      pages = {24-35},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.s.2017050301.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.s.2017050301.14},
      abstract = {Despite the hostile view and belief toward the inclusion of language use in linguistic study and theorizing by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, some linguists have revolutionized linguistics. They authentically showed the importance to account for the social factors in linguistic theory. Indeed, the progress of research in linguistics in general and sociolinguistics in particular has led many linguists to stress the fact that no language is a monolithic and homogeneous (e.g. Bell 1976). In their view, language is a heterogeneous and dynamic system. Sociolinguists, therefore, aim to relate language and language users to the speech community where people interact. The present study is a sociolinguistic investigation which aims to relate linguistic aspects to other social aspects to examine certain linguistic features in Algerian Arabic, a variety which reflects linguistic variation in apparent time that rightly correspond to language change in real time in Sidi Bel Abbes speech community. This city is part of a diglossic and multilingual society- Algeria. As a matter of fact, our study tackles a problematic issue: How can the social changes (extra- linguistic factors) bring about changes in the linguistic system and how can individuals’ speech differences make people themselves distinct on the ground of their affiliation to a certain social group? To explore the issue from a sociolinguistic angle, concrete data have been collected from different real set-ups, aiming to provide true evidence to our scope: language variation that leads to change, change in progress and completed change.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AU  - Abbassia Belahcen
    AU  - Ghania Ouahmiche
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    JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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    AB  - Despite the hostile view and belief toward the inclusion of language use in linguistic study and theorizing by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, some linguists have revolutionized linguistics. They authentically showed the importance to account for the social factors in linguistic theory. Indeed, the progress of research in linguistics in general and sociolinguistics in particular has led many linguists to stress the fact that no language is a monolithic and homogeneous (e.g. Bell 1976). In their view, language is a heterogeneous and dynamic system. Sociolinguists, therefore, aim to relate language and language users to the speech community where people interact. The present study is a sociolinguistic investigation which aims to relate linguistic aspects to other social aspects to examine certain linguistic features in Algerian Arabic, a variety which reflects linguistic variation in apparent time that rightly correspond to language change in real time in Sidi Bel Abbes speech community. This city is part of a diglossic and multilingual society- Algeria. As a matter of fact, our study tackles a problematic issue: How can the social changes (extra- linguistic factors) bring about changes in the linguistic system and how can individuals’ speech differences make people themselves distinct on the ground of their affiliation to a certain social group? To explore the issue from a sociolinguistic angle, concrete data have been collected from different real set-ups, aiming to provide true evidence to our scope: language variation that leads to change, change in progress and completed change.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 3-1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Languages and Arts, University of Djillali Liabes, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

  • Department of Human Sciences and Islamic Civilization, University of Oran 1, Oran, Algeria

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