The branch of linguistics that deals with the explanation of the relation between language and society is known as _________

The correct option is Sociolinguistics.

Explanation:

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, which includes several sub-fields that study language in relation to other disciplines and contextual factors:

1. Sociolinguistics: The branch of linguistics that investigates the relationship between language and society. It explores how language functions in social contexts, how social identity (such as region, ethnicity, status, and gender) influences language use, and how social factors shape language variation and change.

2. Psycholinguistics: The study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, comprehend, and produce language.

3. Anthropological linguistics: The study of how language interacts with cultural sub-systems, beliefs, and social practices within human societies.

Therefore, the branch specifically defined as dealing with the relation between language and society is Sociolinguistics.