1. 1 VARIATION ANALYSIS See also “Prototype Theory” by Don L. F. Nilsen and Alleen Pace Nilsen

2. 2 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS There are various ways of saying the same thing and saliences differ These are affected by S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. or the V.A.R.I.E.S. model

3. 3 S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. MODEL S-Setting P-Participants E-Ends A-Act Sequence K-Key Tone or Mood I-Instrumentalities (writing vs. speech) N-Norms (expectations of the situation) G-Genre (e-mail, chant, research paper) (Gumpers and Hymes 35-71)

4. 4 V.A.R.I.E.S. MODEL by Don and Alleen Nilsen V-VOCATIONAL JARGON –Computer Guys, Doctors, Lawyers, Linguists, Teachers A-AGE-RELATED LANGUAGE –Children, Teenagers, Old People –Old English, Middle English, (Early) Modern English R-REGIONAL LANGUAGE –California, Canada, New York, South I-INFORMAL OR FORMAL LANGUAGE –Casual Acquaintances, Lovers, Friends, Relatives E-ETHNIC LANGUAGE –Blacks, Indians, Jews, Mexicans S-SEX-RELATED LANGUAGE –Males, Females, Lesbians, Gays

5. 5 Assaulted Peanut: A Pun

6. 6 Raining Cats and Dogs: A Metaphor

7. Language Variation Web Sites: *21 Accents by Amy Walker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k *American Dialect Society: http://americandialect.org/ *Lost Baggage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvo9-UA1HD8 *Yankee-Dixie Quiz: http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html 7