demotic

American  

[dih-mot-ik] / dɪˈmɒt ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ordinary, everyday, current form of a language; vernacular.

   a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms.

2. of or relating to the common people; popular.

3. of, relating to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt between 700 b.c. and a.d. 500.

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noun

1. demotic script.

2. Also called Romaic.  (initial capital letter)  the Modern Greek vernacular (Katharevusa ).

demotic ¹ British  

/ dɪˈmɒtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the common people; popular

2. of or relating to a simplified form of hieroglyphics used in ancient Egypt by the ordinary literate class outside the priesthood Compare hieratic

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noun

1. the demotic script of ancient Egypt

Demotic ² British  

/ dɪˈmɒtɪk /

noun

1. the spoken form of Modern Greek, now increasingly used in literature Compare Katharevusa

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adjective

1. denoting or relating to this

Other Word Forms

• demotist noun

Etymology

Origin of demotic

1815–25; < Greek dēmotikós popular, plebeian, equivalent to dēmót ( ēs ) a plebeian (derivative of dêmos; demo- ) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

A slab from the Roman era was also found with hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions, which may give more clues once restored.

From Washington Post

She held grudges, and wrote about them using language more demotic than regal: “You’re an idiot and I hate your guts,” she sang on her song “Idiot,” from 2005.

From New York Times

A series of interconnected short narratives about a group of friends, “Trainspotting” is inventive, scurrilous, gloriously demotic and entirely itself.

From New York Times

He would waffle in demotic English and then answer a charge with a quotation from Seneca.

From Washington Post

Today’s readers, used to the twittering demotic of our age, may need to adjust to this titanic prose-poem’s leisurely, mandarin style.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• conversational
• vernacular