ABSTRACT
How the language one speaks relates to one’s sense of Self and identity is an ever-expanding subject of interest in sociolinguistics. This chapter discusses and illustrates how language varies along several axes defining personality, such as age, competence in more than one language, and the construction of identity through social media. Theories of identity are discussed and related to linguistically-shaped identity. The social function of names and nicknames is mapped against the sense of Self that people develop in specific social environments. Finally, the emergence of “twin identities,” an online and an offline one, is discussed and related to traditional theories.
