ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the relation between language structures and social ones. It looks at how the vocabulary, grammar, and phonology of a language both serve and reflect social patterns, such as those related to gender roles and social class. The topic of figurative language and its relation to cognition and culture is discussed and illustrated with concrete examples. netlingo, or the kind of language that characterizes digital communications, is described and related to the use of language in offline contexts.
