sociolinguistic studies on like

[Salinas17 at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/19/04 9:37:05 AM, clements at indiana.edu writes:
<< Does anyone know of sociolinguistic studies on 'like', especially taking 
into consideration gender and frequency of use? >>

The gender perception is addressed specifically in:
Dailey O’Cain J. (2000). The sociolinguistic distribution and attitudes 
towards focuser
like and quotative like. Journal of Sociolinguistics 4/1: 60-80

But see: Isabelle Buchstaller, Putting perception to the reality test: The 
case of go and like, delivered at NWAVE 32:
www.ling.upenn.edu/NWAVE/abs-pdf/buchstaller.pdf

I'd like to suggest again that analysis of "like" would be helped by seeing 
its evolution from earlier forms where it was neither focal, quotative or a 
stall.  Functionally its new uses may be seen as being rooted in old uses.  The 
functional load may have been modified, but probably is understandable by the 
track it follows from older conventions.  In fact, uses like "he goes ~"  are 
far older than any of the studies cited here and are probably a logical 
extension of more transparent language structures.

As to function beyond social signaling, see Buchstaller, I. (2001). He goes 
and I’m like: The new Quotatives re-visited. Paper presented at NWAV 30, 
Raleigh, N.C., 11-14 Oct.

Some other references:
Cukor-Avila, Patricia. 2002. She Say, She Go, She Be Like: Verbs of Quotation 
over Time in African American Vernacular English. American Speech 77 ( 1): 
3-31.

Ferrara, Kathleen, and Barbara Bell. 1995. Sociolinguistic Variation and 
Discourse Function of Constructed Dialogue Introducers: The Case of Be + Like. 
American Speech 70:265-290.

Macaulay, Ronald. 2001. You’re Like ‘Why Not?’ the Quotative Expressions of 
Glasgow Adolescents. Journal of Sociolinguistics 5 (1):3-21.

Romaine, Suzanne, and Deborah. Lange. 1991. The Use of Like as a Marker of 
Reported Speech and Thought: A Case of Grammaticalization in Progress. American 
Speech 66 (3):227-279.

Tagliamonte, Sali, and Rachel Hudson. 1999. Be Like Et Al. Beyond America: 
The Quotative System in British and Canadian Youth. Journal of Sociolinguistics 
3 (2):147-172.