change from above/below

Two terms introduced into SOCIOLINGUISTICS by William Labov (b. 1927) as part of the explanation of language change. ‘Change from below’ refers to the alterations that people make in their speech below the level of their conscious awareness; ‘change from above’ results from a conscious process of correction of individual linguistic forms, as a result of social pressure. The terms have also been used so as to focus on the relationships of social class which are implicated. Here, ‘change from below’ is seen when the speech of people from a higher-class background is influenced by that of lower-class speakers – in situations, for example, where the former group admires the latter’s traditional way of life. ‘Change from above’ involves the reverse process: lower-class people come to recognize the high prestige attached to certain pronunciations, which they then introduce into their speech.