vernacular
Ordinary people's tongue
Vernacular refers to the everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular place or group, as distinct from formal, literary, or official language.
The text was written in the vernacular rather than Latin.
It extends to any informal or native style within a domain—vernacular architecture uses local materials and traditional methods rather than imported designs.
As an adjective, it describes things characteristic of common speech or local custom: vernacular expressions that don't appear in textbooks.
Informal in-group vocabulary
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
- lingoGroup-specific vocabulary
- argotGroup-specific coded speech
- patoisRegional informal speech
cant · informal · conversational · shoptalk · buzzwords · neologisms · idioms · catchphrases
Originating from a place
- mother tongueLanguage acquired from birth
- first languageTongue learned from birth
- ancestral languageTongue of one's forebears
- heritage languageLanguage of one's ancestors
autochthonous · aboriginal · tribal language · home language · endangered language · language revival
Occurring each day
- commonWidespread and unremarkable
- popularWidely admired by many
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- demoticOf common folk
vulgar · lay · nonstandard · unlearned · natural · unpretentious · grassroots · folk
Regional speech pattern
- regionalismLocal area favoritism
- creoleNativized pidgin tongue
- pidginImprovised contact language
- sociolectLanguage variety by group
provincialism · tongue · brogue · twang · burr · drawl · cockney · scots
Culture passed by speech
- folktalesTraditional oral narratives
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- folk songsInherited communal music
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
legends · myths · storytelling · folk wisdom · sayings · nursery rhymes · riddles · folk poetry
Of the home
- regional stylePlace-based aesthetic tradition
- adobeSun-dried clay bricks
- thatchDried plant roof covering
- timber-frameConstruction using heavy wooden beams
cob · wattle-and-daub · longhouse · farmhouse · cottage · pueblo · stilt house · roundhouse
slang
Informal in-group vocabulary
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
- lingoGroup-specific vocabulary
- argotGroup-specific coded speech
patois · cant · informal · conversational · shoptalk · buzzwords · neologisms · idioms · catchphrases · expressions
native
Originating from a place
- mother tongueLanguage acquired from birth
- first languageTongue learned from birth
- ancestral languageTongue of one's forebears
heritage language · autochthonous · aboriginal · tribal language · home language · endangered language · language revival
everyday
Occurring each day
demotic · vulgar · lay · nonstandard · unlearned · natural · unpretentious · grassroots · folk · homespun
accent
Regional speech pattern
- regionalismLocal area favoritism
- creoleNativized pidgin tongue
- pidginImprovised contact language
sociolect · provincialism · tongue · brogue · twang · burr · drawl · cockney · scots · dialectology
oral tradition
Culture passed by speech
- folktalesTraditional oral narratives
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- folk songsInherited communal music
ballads · legends · myths · storytelling · folk wisdom · sayings · nursery rhymes · riddles · folk poetry · chants
domestic
Of the home
- regional stylePlace-based aesthetic tradition
- adobeSun-dried clay bricks
- thatchDried plant roof covering
timber-frame · cob · wattle-and-daub · longhouse · farmhouse · cottage · pueblo · stilt house · roundhouse · yurt
- vocabularyword, words, new words, term, terms
- dialectsregional dialect, local dialect, patois, regional dialects, regional accent
- literary stylespastoral, lyrical prose, satirical, poetic prose, lyrical
- dialectologydialectology, dialect atlas, linguistic atlas, regional dialects, fieldwork
- Dutch dialectsFlemish, Frisian, dialect atlas, regional speech
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
vernacularstandard
Level of quality accepted
correct · grammatical · King's English · prescriptive · Queen's English
- online vernacularCasual internet language