A retrospective on the Labovian linguistic variation model from the Catalan perspective

Abstract

The Labovian linguistic variation model is founded on the basic premise that variation is a significant linguistic fact. This article aims to support this assertion while at the same time demonstrating that without Labov’s new paradigm of quantitative sociolinguistics in the 1970s, not only would there not be “any sort of tradition of empirical linguistics research within the speech community” (Trudgill, 1996 [1994]: 15), but very likely this paradigm, which came to be widely known as language change and variation theory, would never have taken root in international linguistic historiography. Above all else, Labov advocated a new approach to the observation, analysis and description of language—the specific human ability that makes living beings human—and promoted the incorporation of variation into a theory of linguistic change. Finally, this paper explores Labov’s model retrospectively, as well as the manner in
which the Catalan variationist research of the last three decades of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century has contributed to the Labovian model and to theoretical and descriptive linguistics in general.

Key words: language variation, linguistic change, quantitative sociolinguistics, Labovian model, variationist research, Catalan.