Abstract In this study, we investigate an apparent discourse-based alternation between monosyllabic and disyllabic word-forms in Moklen, an Austronesian language spoken in Thailand. We explore whether factors of information structure condition the variable elision of the first syllable of certain disyllabic lexemes. Data was obtained through the implementation of a picture-based field stimulus to elicit a range of lexical material within narrow discourse contexts. Our results reveal that no single information status category (e.g., “given” or “new”) accounted for use of monosyllabic alternants overall. Applying a “bottom-up” approach to the study of information structure (Matić, 2022; Ozerov, 2018), we propose a shift to “topics” — information conveyed as mutual knowledge (Masia, 2022) — as one possible account for the observed changes in Moklen word-form. More generally, our study shows how information structure processes have the potential to contribute to contextual alternation between monosyllabic and disyllabic word-forms, a matter with implications for broader historical changes in word-form.

Abstract Sociolinguists have grappled with how speakers of different genders use linguistic variables differentially to constitute their identities. Two seemingly-conflicting generalisations have emerged, referred to as the gender paradox. Women at once maintain standard forms which are overtly-discussed and positively-evaluated; yet lead change in non-standard forms which are below the level of consciousness. These trends are relatively robust in cases of language-internal change in Western societies but less so in non-Western societies and situations of language contact. This paper examines the role of gender in a north Australian Indigenous community where there is a shift underway from Gurindji to Kriol. The dataset consists of 185 variables used by 78 speakers across three generations. Here we examine the results of the application of the BayesVarbrul to the dataset which suggest that women tend to be more conservative than men in retaining Gurindji variants, despite a more general shift to Kriol.

Abstract This study reports on variation in final [‑a] ~ [‑e] in Jakarta Indonesian (JI), a new urban variety of Indonesian that emerged from contact between Standard Indonesian (SI) and Betawi, a variety of Malay spoken in the capital of Indonesia. The study incorporates both apparent- and real-time approaches to examining change in this variable, using two large-scale naturalistic speech corpora from three generations of speakers. In the examination of this variable over time, we find that the standard SI form is now predominant in colloquial JI, a change that was led by women and speakers with higher educational backgrounds. The study provides insight into the development of a new language variety within a multilingual environment.

Abstract How are honorifics, which are socially meaningful and socially conditioned, acquired, when their appearance in child-directed speech cannot replicate their use in adult-directed speech? In this paper, we conduct corpus and experimental studies aimed at characterizing the use of honorifics in child-directed speech in Korean. We find that the addressee honorific -yo is present at notable rates in child-directed speech, although the use of -yo in child-directed utterances is rated less natural than its absence. We further find that while -yo is given lower ratings for the presence of relevant social meanings when in child-directed speech compared to adult-directed speech, the use of -yo in child-directed speech is still significantly associated with these meanings. This suggests that while the presence of honorifics in child-directed speech is somewhat unexpected, such uses of honorifics nonetheless carry relevant information about the social meaning of honorifics.

Abstract Within sociolinguistic research on English variation, Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans (APINAs) are frequently described as an “understudied population” due to the relative lack of published studies that analyze these speakers or communities. This structured literature review systematically characterizes the state of the field from a variationist perspective. We find that while studies on APINAs have become more common in the last decade, different groups are represented unevenly in the existing literature; for example, East Asian groups are commonly represented in the literature in contrast to South Asian groups. Furthermore, the vast majority of variationist studies analyze phonetic and phonological variation, with a theoretical focus on identifying participation in race-based varieties (ethnolects/raciolects) or in sound changes of the “majority” population, rather than using the inherent diversity of APINA groups to bring attention to how race and ethnicity are being used in Sociolinguistics.

Abstract This paper explores an emerging Brazilian Portuguese koiné spoken among Brazilian-dominant Latin American immigrants in Japan’s Greater Tokyo Area. It examines Strong-R (onset /r/) realizations by 79 speakers in the context of dialect and language contact within the diasporic setting. The results highlight (a) levelling and focussing towards [h] as a result of koineization and (b) early stages of the adoption of [ɸ], a xenolectal feature, resulting from contact with Japanese. The external and internal motivations for change towards [h] are identified as local and supralocal levelling and drift. The transition to [ɸ], and its linguistic and social embedding, are discussed in terms of acquisition order, the structure of the Japanese kana syllabary, and speakers’ social networks. The conclusion emphasizes the importance for koiné genesis of input dialects, ongoing language change in the homeland, the social meaning of variants in both pre- and post-contact societies, and speakers’ social networks and mobilities.

Abstract The Oceanic language Matukar Panau has three equivalent morphosyntactic strategies for describing the direction of the event represented by a verb, with a system of ten directional morphemes that can appear in each construction. This variation is explored using a corpus from Matukar Panau and analysed quantitatively with Bayesian regression analyses to assess what factors influence the choice of directional construction. Variables pertaining to the lexical verb and the directional morphemes are found to be the most important factors affecting the variation in the directional system. Sociolinguistic factors are shown to play a less significant role. The findings have implications for the grammaticalization of directional elements, as well as the typology of directional constructions in Oceanic languages.