³ ~socgum1.15 º UP: <[LINK]> ³
³ The speech community as a º NEXT: open ³
³ "socially defined universe." º <[LINK] - ³
Gumperz asserts that a speech community is a "socially
defined universe" {<[LINK]> jump to his definition of socioling at
socially defined universe} He then clarifies his definition,
maintaining that a speech community is "any human aggregate
characterized by regular and frequent interaction by means of a
shared body of verbal signs and set off from similar aggregates
by significant differences in language usage." He rejects
Labov's correlational conception of speech community,
<[LINK]> noting that Labov treats societal rules as "jural,"
and "measurable by measures independent of communicative
processes." {<[LINK]> (Gumperz 1972a intro 14-15)} He notes that
"Most groups of any permanence...[examples of various sized
groups deleted]...may be treated as speech communities, provided
they show linguistic peculiarities that warrant special study."
(Gumperz 1972b "spch comm" 219) In the process of moving from
his ideal definition of speech communities as aggregates to his
methodological definition of speech communities as groups,
Gumperz makes an important reduction. <[LINK]>