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."

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