[dahy-uh-lekt] 
| 1. | 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. |
| 2. | a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, esp. when considered as substandard. |
| 3. | a special variety of a language: The literary dialect is usually taken as the standard language. |
| 4. | a language considered as one of a group that have a common ancestor: Persian, Latin, and English are Indo-European dialects. |
| 5. | jargon or cant. |
| di·a·lect (dī'ə-lěkt') n.
[French dialecte, from Old French, from Latin dialectus, form of speech, from Greek dialektos, speech, from dialegesthai, to discourse, use a dialect : dia-, between, over; see dia- + legesthai, middle voice of legein, to speak; see leg- in Indo-European roots.] di'a·lec'tal adj., di'a·lec'tal·ly adv. Synonyms: These nouns denote forms of language that vary from the standard. Dialect usually applies to the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation characteristic of specific geographic localities or social classes. The vernacular is the informal everyday language spoken by a people. Jargon is specialized language understood only by a particular group, as one sharing an occupation or interest. Cant now usually refers to the specialized vocabulary of a group or trade and is often marked by the use of stock phrases. Argot applies especially to the language of the underworld. Lingo is often applied to language that is unfamiliar or difficult to understand. Patois is sometimes used as a synonym for jargon or cant, but it can also refer to a regional dialect that has no literary tradition. |
əˌlɛkt
