dialect

[ dahy-uh-lekt ]

noun

1. Linguistics. a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.
2. a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard.

   Synonyms: patois, idiom

3. a special variety of a language:

   The literary dialect is usually taken as the standard language.

4. a language considered as one of a group that have a common ancestor:

   Persian, Latin, and English are Indo-European dialects.

5. jargon or cant.

dialect

/ ˈdaɪəˌlɛkt /

noun

1. 1. a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular social class or occupational group, distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation
   2. a form of a language that is considered inferior

      the farmer spoke dialect and was despised by the merchants

   3. ( as modifier )

      a dialect word

Derived Forms

• ˌdiaˈlectal, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·dia·lect noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dialect¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin dialectus, from Greek diálektos “discourse, language, dialect,” equivalent to dialég(esthai) “to converse” ( dia- “through, between” + légein “to speak”) + -tos verbal adjective suffix; dia-

Word History and Origins

Origin of dialect¹

C16: from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos speech, dialect, discourse, from dialegesthai to converse, from legein to talk, speak

Synonym Study

See language.

Example Sentences

His playing from the ’40s, when bebop was becoming the principal jazz dialect, still sounds remarkable.

From Los Angeles Times

Burmese, Chinese and the local Yunnan dialect mingled as vocal spectators reacted to every pass, kick and shot.

From BBC

To experience “The Morrison Game Factory” is essentially to have a conversation, one in which we learn a dialect centered on play.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the discussions and videos are in Nigerian Pidgin dialect.

From BBC

Yang, who speaks three Chinese dialects — Cantonese, Shanghainese and Mandarin — decided that Jian-Yang was probably from mainland China and likely would speak with a Mandarin accent.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accent
• idiom
• jargon
• language
• lingo
• patois
• pronunciation
• slang
• terminology
• tongue
• vernacular
• vocabulary