The article by William Labov explores the intersection of sex and social class in the context of linguistic change. It highlights two general principles of sexual differentiation: men use nonstandard forms more frequently in stable situations, while women are often the innovators in linguistic change. The author examines these principles through a multivariate analysis of data from the Philadelphia Project on Linguistic Change and Variation, finding that sexual differentiation is independent of social class at the beginning of a change but gradually interacts with social awareness as the change progresses. Labov proposes that sexual differentiation is generated by two processes: (1) the asymmetric context of language learning leads to an initial acceleration of female-dominated changes and retardation of male-dominated changes; (2) women lead men in rejecting linguistic changes as they are recognized by the speech community, with the most significant differentiation observed in the second highest status group. The article also discusses the interaction between sex and social class, noting that the second highest status group shows the greatest differential of men and women, along with the highest degree of linguistic insecurity and the sharpest slope of style shifting. The author emphasizes the importance of analyzing sexual differentiation separately for each social group, as the behavior of men and women varies significantly across different social classes. Overall, the study provides insights into how sexual differentiation influences the course of linguistic change, suggesting that the interaction between sex and social class plays a crucial role in shaping these changes.The article by William Labov explores the intersection of sex and social class in the context of linguistic change. It highlights two general principles of sexual differentiation: men use nonstandard forms more frequently in stable situations, while women are often the innovators in linguistic change. The author examines these principles through a multivariate analysis of data from the Philadelphia Project on Linguistic Change and Variation, finding that sexual differentiation is independent of social class at the beginning of a change but gradually interacts with social awareness as the change progresses. Labov proposes that sexual differentiation is generated by two processes: (1) the asymmetric context of language learning leads to an initial acceleration of female-dominated changes and retardation of male-dominated changes; (2) women lead men in rejecting linguistic changes as they are recognized by the speech community, with the most significant differentiation observed in the second highest status group. The article also discusses the interaction between sex and social class, noting that the second highest status group shows the greatest differential of men and women, along with the highest degree of linguistic insecurity and the sharpest slope of style shifting. The author emphasizes the importance of analyzing sexual differentiation separately for each social group, as the behavior of men and women varies significantly across different social classes. Overall, the study provides insights into how sexual differentiation influences the course of linguistic change, suggesting that the interaction between sex and social class plays a crucial role in shaping these changes.