Language acquisition across the lifespan in historical sociolinguistics

Abstract The study of language variation and change has long been rooted in the effects of acquisition at different points of the lifespan, but the potential for language acquisition theory and data to inform sociohistorical approaches to language diachrony has not always been recognized. In this introductory chapter, the application of an acquisitionally informed lens to the research on language variation and change is justified on theoretical, methodological, and heuristic grounds. Following an overview of the existing research on the role of age in the acquisition of variation and the emergence of sociolinguistic norms, the chapter summarizes previous applications of acquisition theory in historical sociolinguistics. This panoramic review is then used to articulate the potential for a lifelong view of language acquisition to serve as a powerful instrument in the historical sociolinguist’s toolkit. Ultimately, the goal is to supplement other methodologies to produce more thorough explanations of language change by centering a language developmental perspective in the praxis of historical sociolinguistics.