ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

William Labov

William Labov is a man who studies how people talk. He is interested in the way people use language and how it can show things about where they come from or how they feel.

Like when you meet someone new and they have an accent or use different words than you, it can tell you where they are from or how they grew up. That's what William Labov likes to study.

He goes around to different places and talks to lots of people to learn about how they talk. He listens to the types of words they use, the way they say them, and even the types of sounds they make when they talk!

He also studies how people's language changes over time. So, when you grow up, you might start talking differently than you do right now. William Labov wants to know why that happens.

Overall, William Labov is really interested in language and how it can give us clues about who people are and where they come from.