Speech ... is a highly sensitive status indicator .... Upperand lowerclass persons employ quite divergent linguistic patterns, as do sub-groups within classes: ruralites vs. urbanites, men vs. women, old people vs. young people, and occupational groups, too. … The preindustrial city dweller had merely to open his or her mouth to be placed immediately into the relevant socially defined categories.

DEFINE: Establishes speech as a sociolinguistic 'status indicator' that classifies speakers by class, geography, gender, age, and occupation.

XREF: Connects to sociolinguistic concepts like Labov's variation studies and status markers in language.

Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order a…, loc. 255