Dimensions of Linguistic Variation

The chapters in this book all demonstrate that, while corpora from different communities can vary in different ways, those differences must and can be integrated into data coding and metadata coding in ways that permit the linguistic patterns of various communities to be compared.

Chris Cieri was a proud native Philadelphian with a lifelong affinity for his Italian heritage. His PhD examined phonological variation in L'Aquila, Italy. As LDC Executive Director from 1998-2023, he pursued his dual research interests in linguistics (variation, phonetics, phonology, morphology, dialectology) and language-related technologies (databases, annotation, computer-assisted analysis). As it evolved from a data repository and research hub to a prominent global data center, Chris developed the LDC's reputation for tackling complex research and developing high-quality resources. His goal was to provide tools for the development and dissemination of cross-linguistic data to be shared by sociolinguists around the world.

Lauren Hall-Lew is Professor and Personal Chair of Sociolinguistics at the University of Edinburgh. She specializes in phonetic variation and change, with particular interest in the analysis of socioindexical meaning and its potential role in language change.

Katie Drager is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawai'I at Manoa, specializing in sociophonetics and experimental sociolinguistics. Her research examines the link between linguistic forms and social meanings, especially how expectations about a talker can influence how listeners interpret the forms produced by that talker.

Malcah Yaeger-Dror has carried out research on language variation and change in Canadian French, American English, and Israeli Hebrew communities.