idiolect is a term for a single person’s way of speaking

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this item, the core statement is that idiolect is a term for a single person’s way of speaking.

Option analysis:
- The given answer 'idiolect' corresponds to the well-established linguistic term that describes an individual’s unique set of language habits, including pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. This concept is widely recognized in sociolinguistics as distinguishing a person’s personal speech pattern from a dialect (shared by a speech community) or an idiolectal variation within a community. Therefore, identifying 'idiolect' as the correct term aligns with standard definitions.

- If there were additional options (e.g., terms like 'dialect', 'lect', or 'idiolectal variation'), we would compare them against the definitions: a dialect reflects a group’s shared language features, not an individual; lect is sometimes used but less precise in formal linguistics; idiolect specifically denotes an individual’s unique speech habits. Since the provided answer is the precise term that matches the description, it correctly identifies the concept.

- In the absence of other choices, there isn’t an alternative to evaluate. However, it’s useful to emphasize why the single-person focus matters: the term isolates personal linguistic fingerprint from community-wide linguistic norms, which is exactly what an idiolect represents.

Overall, the statement correctly captures the definition of idiolect as the term describing an individual’s distinctive way of speaking.

LING 200 A Homework 6 (Socioling)

idiolect is a term for a single person’s way of speaking

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LING 200 A Homework 6 (Socioling)

idiolect is a term for a single person’s way of speaking

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

True or false: There is no way to linguistically determine which dialect is "better" or "worse".

In the United States today, “r-lessness” in words like car, father, and park are considered features of non-standard speech. In Britain, however, “r-lessness” is characteristic of Received Pronunciation, the standard prestige dialect. This illustrates that:

Which of the following is NOT an example of style-shifting?

Which of the following is *NOT* an example of an extralinguistic factor that can define a speech community and the linguistic variation used by groups of speakers?

Dialects vary in how proper or good they are - some dialects are better than others.

Sociolinguistics is the study of the systematic relationship between language variation and social structures that exist within and across speech communities.

At a job interview for a prestigious law firm, the applicant — a native speaker of the r-less New York dialect — decides to speak Standard American English. Her reasons for this could be said to be due to [ Select ] jargon hypercorrection slang covert prestige dialect leveling overt prestige .

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Which of the following is NOT an example of an extralinguistic factor that can define a speech community and the linguistic variation used by groups of speakers?