Danubius International Conferences, 15th International Conference The Danube - Axis of European Identity
Sociolinguistic characteristics of the language of 19th-century English aristocrats (based on William Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair)
Last modified: 2025-06-18
Abstract
This study explores the sociolinguistic characteristics of the language used by 19th-century English aristocrats, focusing on William M. Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair. The author analyzes the linguistic markers that signify social class, education, and cultural capital within the aristocratic milieu of Victorian England. The paper identifies how language functions as a social distinction and identity construction tool by thoroughly examining characters’ speech patterns, vocabulary choices, syntactic structures, and stylistic nuances. Special attention is given to the contrast between aristocratic and middle-class linguistic behaviors and the use of irony and narrative voice to comment on class pretensions. The findings demonstrate that Thackeray’s portrayal of aristocratic language reflects and subverts contemporary social hierarchies, offering insight into the performative nature of class and communication in 19th-century British society.
