dialect

/'daiəlekt/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
dialect

The linguist recorded the local dialect for her research.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A regional or social variety of a language: A "dialect" is a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by a particular social group, distinguished by its own vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
    • A subordinate variety of a language: A "dialect" is often considered a variety of a language that is not the standard form but is still mutually intelligible with it.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun:
    • The Appalachian dialect has many unique words and pronunciations.
    • She studied the local dialect spoken in the coastal villages.
    • The immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English.
Advanced Usage
  • Dialect continuum: A series of dialects spoken across a geographical area, where each neighboring dialect is mutually intelligible, but dialects at the far ends may not be.
    • The languages across the region form a complex dialect continuum.
  • Dialectology: The scientific study of dialects.
    • Her research in dialectology focuses on urban speech patterns.
Variants and Related Words
  • Dialectal (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of a dialect.
    • The dialectal differences were subtle but noticeable.
  • Dialectician (n): A person who studies dialects or is skilled in dialectics (a related but distinct field of logical debate).
Synonyms
  • Vernacular: The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
  • Patois: A dialect other than the standard or literary dialect; often refers to a regional non-standard form.
  • Idiom: A form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people (can overlap with dialect in referring to distinctive usage).
Related Phrases and Idioms
  • "A language is a dialect with an army and navy": A famous saying (attributed to linguist Max Weinreich) highlighting that the distinction between a language and a dialect is often based on political and social power, not purely linguistic criteria.
    • The linguist explained the political nature of classification using the adage, "A language is a dialect with an army and navy."
dialect

The linguist recorded the local dialect for her research.

Noun
  1. the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
    • the immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English
    • he has a strong German accent
    • it has been said that a language is a dialect with an army and navy