Age Grading in Sociolinguistic Theory

Distinguishing linguistic change at the community level (‘generational change’) from linguistic change at the individual level (‘age grading’) is “one of the major issues in contemporary sociolinguistics” (). This article gives a brief history of the study of language change in the community, before turning to the types of linguistic behavior that have been observed across individuals’ lifespans. The article also discusses the meanings that have been attributed to the term ‘age grading’, arguing that consensus cannot be reached without more longitudinal work to determine the limits of lifespan linguistic change.