Dialectology is the study of language variation. Traditionally, this has
largely been the province of dialect geographers, who concentrated on
the speech of the linguistically conservative rural population in order
to map regional differences. Interest has shifted to urban speech, and
sociolinguists have correlated linguistic variables with other variables
such as age, social class, sex and ethnic background. Dialectology not
only provides a thorough exposition of these two approaches - their
histories, methodologies and significant results, drawn from studies of
a wide range of languages - it also integrates them within a single
conceptual framework as two aspects of the same discipline. The authors
argue that dialectology can thus make an important contribution to
general linguistic theory and in particular answer questions about
variability in language, which has in the past too often been assigned
peripheral or accidental status. Designed primarily as a comprehensive
textbook for undergraduate courses in dialect studies, this book also
points towards innovative and stimulating research areas.