dialect
Local speech variety
A dialect is a variety of a language spoken by a particular group, usually defined by region or social class.
Dialects differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar: the Appalachian dialect, urban dialects.
Every speaker uses some dialect—standard forms are simply dialects that gained prestige.
The line between dialect and separate language is often political rather than linguistic.
Regional speech pattern
- brogueAccent or sturdy shoe
- drawlUnhurried, elongated speech pattern
- twangSharp vibrating sound
- liltRhythmic speech quality
patois · creole · pidgin · sociolect · provincialism · regionalism · Appalachian · Cajun
Science of language sounds
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- syntaxRules for arranging words
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
- phonemeMinimal distinctive sound unit
allophone · consonant · diphthong · grammar · pronunciation · intonation · prosody · stress pattern
Casual, everyday language
- slangInformal in-group vocabulary
- argotGroup-specific coded speech
- cantSanctimonious insincerity
- lingoGroup-specific vocabulary
parlance · street talk · nonstandard · informal speech · everyday speech · mother tongue · native speech · common speech
Inherited cultural narratives
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- oral historyRecorded interviews about the past
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
folk songs · storytelling · cultural identity · community · ancestry · homeland · indigenous · ethnic group
Reputation commanding admiration
- stigmaMark of dishonor
- minority languageSpeech spoken by few
- heritage languageLanguage of one's ancestors
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
accent
Regional speech pattern
lilt · patois · creole · pidgin · sociolect · provincialism · regionalism · Appalachian · Cajun · Geordie
phonology
Science of language sounds
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- syntaxRules for arranging words
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
phoneme · allophone · consonant · diphthong · grammar · pronunciation · intonation · prosody · stress pattern · register
colloquial
Casual, everyday language
lingo · parlance · street talk · nonstandard · informal speech · everyday speech · mother tongue · native speech · common speech · plain language
folklore
Inherited cultural narratives
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- oral historyRecorded interviews about the past
proverbs · folk songs · storytelling · cultural identity · community · ancestry · homeland · indigenous · ethnic group · cultural preservation
prestige
Reputation commanding admiration
- stigmaMark of dishonor
- minority languageSpeech spoken by few
- heritage languageLanguage of one's ancestors
bilingualism · multilingualism · social stratification · standardization
- languagelanguage, word, words, grammar, spelling
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- language barrierslanguage barrier, miscommunication, misunderstanding, untranslatable, confusion
- local cultureaccent, local cuisine, folklore, traditions, local music
- regional influencesaccent, cuisine, folk music, local customs, architecture
- linguisticslinguistics, phoneme, phonemes, morpheme, morphemes
dialectstandard language
Codified, official linguistic form
standard · official language · Queen's English · proper English · BBC English
dialectlingua franca
Shared tongue between peoples
universal language · world language · koine · global English
dialectcommon language
- regional dialectsGeographically distinct speech varieties
- language dialectsRegional speech varieties
- local dialectRegion-specific speech variety
- southern dialectSpeech from lower regions
- Scottish dialectRegional British speech variety
- dialect coachTrains speakers in accents
dialectic, dialects, dialectal, dialectical, dialectics, dialectology