and should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting scientific method, diagnosis, or treatment by physicians for any particular patient. In view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to the use of medicines, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each medicine, equipment, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Wardhaugh, Ronald, author. | Fuller, Janet M., 1962– author.
Title: An introduction to sociolinguistics / Ronald Wardhaugh and Janet M. Fuller.
Description: 8th edition. | Hoboken, NJ : Wiley‐Blackwell, 2021. | Series: Blackwell textbooks in linguistics | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021004384 (print) | LCCN 2021004385 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119473428 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119473497 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119473541 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Sociolinguistics.
Classification: LCC P40 .W27 2021 (print) | LCC P40 (ebook) | DDC 306.44–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021004384 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021004385
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © ivector/Shutterstock
List of Figures
Figure 2.1 ‘Am I a joke to you’ meme
Figure 2.2 ‘Am I a joke to you’ meme without subtitles
Figure 5.1 Isoglosses
Figure 5.2 Use of r‐pronunciation by department store
Figure 5.3 Multiple negation by social class in Detroit
Figure 5.4 The Northern Cities Vowel Shift
Figure 5.5 Percentages of overreporting by research participants
Figure 5.6 Percentages of underreporting by research participants
Figure 8.1 Linguistic landscapes in Berlin, Germany: ‘Your multicultural fresh market’
Figure 8.2 Linguistic landscapes in Berlin, Germany: ‘King of Çiğköfte’
List of Tables
Table 4.1 Uses of tóngzhì in 1980s China95
Table 5.1 Percentage of [r] use in three New York City department stores122
Table 9.1 Pidgins and creoles by lexifier language259
Acknowledgments
I did the bulk of this eighth edition in the first half of 2020, during the beginning of the Covid‐19 crisis, which included sheltering with six other family members (three human, three canine) in my house, which was a bit too small for the seven of us. Embedded in the craziness of these times was also the stimulating environment of living with my three mentors for understanding contemporary culture. Our conversations often revolved around many of the issues of social inequality and power abuse which were put into sharp focus in these months. I am sure that many of my readers spent many hours, as we did, reading and discussing the many horrible developments of this time, and taking the edge off the despair by laughing at memes. The intensity of this situation is seen overtly in only a few moments of this book, but it arguably has permeated all of my writing. For this I owe a great debt of thanks to Indigo Nathani, Jayden Nathani and Niko Johnson‐Fuller. In addition to providing me with new perspectives and ideas, they also read sections of the book and offered invaluable feedback. Niko has long acted as my youth culture/technology support staff and continued in that role for this book. (If what I’ve included is nonetheless cringey, he’s not to blame.)
My co‐workers Zorro Montenegro de Alemania, Guadalupe Runter vom Sofa, and Biene Fetzt also deserve a mention. Although their demands for walks sometimes seemed a burden, ultimately they helped us to stay sane.
Although this book was finished in the age of the corona, I started it much earlier. I signed a contract shortly before moving to Groningen in 2017, and while taking on this new position delayed work on the book, it also provided me with a fabulous context within which to grow as a sociolinguist. I know ‘fabulous’ is a strange word to use for the workplace, but there really is not a more appropriate word for my colleagues here. Especially the members of the Language & Society team, but all of the members of the European Languages and Cultures program, as well as many valuable colleagues in the Center for Language and Cognition in Groningen, have made my job a pleasure and provided me with a rich intellectual environment.
The field of sociolinguistics is increasingly concerned with issues of power and inequality, and as these issues become central, more and more sociolinguists are reflective about the history of the field and how we have brought our own biases to the study of language in society. I am proud to be part of a field that is addressing important social issues and doing the difficult work of reflexivity, while I am also aware that there is much room for improvement, in the field and in this book. Many of the chapter reviewers were helpful in pointing out my own anglophone, binary, and Western biases; while I fear these biases are still present in this book, the extent to which I have succeeded in being more inclusive is due to the excellent feedback I got from reviewers. In addition, they provided input on the content to make this up‐to‐date and accurate. (Any errors are, of course, my own.) For reviews of book chapters I would like to thank Charlotte Gooskens, Marina Terkouafi, Tony Webster, Itxaso Rodriguez‐Ordonez, Farzad Karimzad, Aurelie Joubert,
