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Areas Quote by William Labov

“We focus upon pairs of words very often which are the same in some areas and different in other areas.” quote by William Labov
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“We focus upon pairs of words very often which are the same in some areas and different in other areas.”

William Labov

About This Quote

Source Article: "The Social Stratification of English in New York City", 1972

Language varies across contexts; words can be identical in meaning yet differ in usage.

In simple terms: Words can be same meaning but used differently.

Key Takeaway

Notice context in communication.

Themes

language communication variation context

Mood

analytical curious

Type

educational observational

When to use this quote

  • teaching
  • translation
  • marketing
  • cross‑cultural dialogue

Key Concepts

Sociolinguistics semantic shift

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does context change word meaning?
  • When do you assume words mean the same?
A Different Perspective

Words may mislead if context ignored.

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