While researching a language that linguists have not catalogued before, you discover that there are very strong accents within it. In a paper presenting a hypothesis about the origin of the accents, you use Bill Labov's research in the United States to corroborate your hypothesis. Your hypothesis is most likely:
A) The inherited physical traits of each group's vocal tracts lead them to produce slightly different sounds, giving them an accent.
B) When people move into a new area, they develop an accent that propagates better in that environment, based on its acoustic features.
C) Identifying with an esteemed, yet otherwise threatened, subset of the population can motivate speakers to signal that identity by an accent.
D) Subsets of a population that value education less will acquire an accent out of sloppiness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bill Labov's research, particularly his studies in Martha's Vineyard, supports the idea that accents can serve as social markers. People may adopt certain speech patterns to identify with specific groups within a population, especially if those groups are esteemed or perceived as under threat. This aligns with option C, which suggests that accents can be a way to signal identity with a particular subset of the population.

While Researching a Language That Linguists Have Not Catalogued Before