Which model is described as spreading change like ripples from a central source?

• A. Trudgill
• B. Halliday's Functional Theory
• C. Bailey's Wave Model
• D. Chen's S-Curve Model

Answer: (C)

Diffusion of linguistic change through a population can be imagined as ripples emanating from a central origin. Bailey's Wave Model describes exactly this: an innovation starts at a central point and spreads outward through networks and geographies, with the closest communities adopting first and more distant ones catching the change later, often in overlapping waves. This creates a gradient of usage that reflects social and geographic proximity to the source, rather than a uniform, uniform-time adoption. Other options describe different ideas: Trudgill focuses on social networks and variation across social groups, not a radial diffusion; Halliday's Functional Theory addresses language choices based on function in context; Chen's S-Curve models the overall rate of adoption over time, not the spatial ripple effect.