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One aim of historical sociolinguistic research is to uncover the speech of different social layers throughout the history of a language. To do so, the historical linguist has to rely on various text types, some of which are autograph texts by writers from different social groups while others represent the speech of these groups through a mediator such as an author/narrator or scribe. The Late Modern English period is of great interest for the study of speech representation across social layers because of increased literacy levels that allow us to find autograph texts by lower-class writers in addition to the well-educated middling sorts and the elite. The period is also strongly associated with the codification and prescription stages of language standardisation which gave rise to many pronunciation guides and grammars that provide insight into promoted and stigmatised linguistic features, and sometimes draw connections with the language use of different social groups. Sociolinguistic differences and stereotypes can also be found in contemporary literature, albeit depicted by the author. At the same time, the Romantic movement (c. 1798-1837) promoted the focus on the ‘real language of men’.   

The Late Modern English period therefore offers a wealth of text types that allow us to gain insights into the speech of different social groups, e.g. normative texts related to language use, pauper petitions, other autograph texts like letters and diaries, as well as depositions, dialect literature and other contemporary literature. 

The aim of this workshop is to bring together scholars who are interested in reconstructing Late Modern English speech across social layers by investigating different text types. The different foci of the invited speakers will allow us to gain a better understanding of the actual language of the Late Modern English population and the perceptions, partly reflected in stereotypes, of mediator writers such as authors and scribes. 

See https://wp.unil.ch/lalp/international-workshop-online-on-12-november-2021/ for more information.