dialect

[ dahy-uh-lekt ]

/ ˈdaɪ əˌlɛkt /

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noun

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.

a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard.

a special variety of a language: The literary dialect is usually taken as the standard language.

a language considered as one of a group that have a common ancestor: Persian, Latin, and English are Indo-European dialects.

jargon or cant.

Nearby words

dial gauge, dial tone, dial train, dial-up, dial., dialect, dialect atlas, dialect geography, dialectal, dialectic, dialectical

Origin of dialect

1545–55; < Latin dialectus < Greek diálektos discourse, language, dialect, equivalent to dialég(esthai) to converse (dia- dia- + légein to speak) + -tos verbal adjective suffix

SYNONYMS FOR dialect

2 idiom, patois. See language.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dialect ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formssub·di·a·lect, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dialect

He frequently slips into Neapolitan dialect so thick that is incomprehensible.
The Costa Concordia’s Randy Reckless Captain Takes the Stand|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sicilian dialect is filled with Arabic words like mischinu (taken from the Arabic word miskin), which means a poor person.
Refugees Head to Sicily in ‘Biblical Exodus’|Barbie Latza Nadeau|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dialect, for instance, was not his métier, so like a true devotee of the form he exploited his incompetence for laughs.
Robert Pinsky: The Comedy of Seamus Heaney|Robert Pinsky|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“For me to learn any Romance or Germanic dialect, just put me in the environment, and it would come alive,” he said.
Adventures with an Extreme Polyglot: Excerpt from 'Babel No More'|Michael Erard|January 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST

But it was in the dialect of the West African Fulani language and for weeks no translation was available.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Accuser’s Detained “Fiancé” Amara Tarawally Speaks|Christine Pelisek, Terry Greene Sterling, Christopher Dickey|July 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
In the 12th century the same gospels were again copied by pious hands into the Kentish dialect of the period.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7|Various
It is also most mixed with words from the Cree dialect of the Algonkin.
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man|Robert Gordon Latham
In vain had I tried to learn or collect words of the Bunda, or dialect spoken in Angola.
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa|David Livingstone
His novels are marked by abundance of incident, skilful handling of dialect, and realistic portraiture.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
He holds a tumbler in his right hand, and swears, in his Yorkshire dialect, that he is 'King and a hauf!'
The Bront Family, Vol. 2 of 2|Francis A. Leyland

British Dictionary definitions for dialect

dialect

/ (ˈdaɪəˌlɛkt) /

noun

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
a form of a language that is considered inferiorthe farmer spoke dialect and was despised by the merchants
(as modifier)a dialect word

Derived Formsdialectal, adjective

Word Origin for dialect

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dialect

dialect

1570s, "form of speech of a region or group," from Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus "local language, way of speaking, conversation," from Greek dialektos "talk, conversation, speech;" also "the language of a country, dialect," from dialegesthai "converse with each other," from dia- "across, between" (see dia-) + legein "speak" (see lecture (n.)).

dialect

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of dialect

Examples from the Web for dialect

British Dictionary definitions for dialect

dialect

noun

Word Origin for dialect

Word Origin and History for dialect

dialect