Dialectism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A word, phrase, or linguistic feature characteristic of a particular regional dialect used to distinguish local speech patterns from standard language
2. An expression or linguistic element specific to a regional variety of a language that reflects the unique cultural and social identity of its speakers
3. A term or grammatical construction employed in a specific geographic area to convey local speech nuances differing from the standard or common tongue

Etymology: Dialectism is a modern formation built from "dialect" and the suffix "-ism," so its history is essentially that of its parts. "Dialect" comes from Ancient Greek "dialektos," meaning a way of speaking or conversing, formed from "dia-" (through, across) and "legein" (to speak). Greek used the term for the particular speech of a region or people, and it passed into Latin as "dialectos" and then into English through Middle French. The suffix "-ism" has a different journey. It descends from Ancient Greek "-ismos," which formed nouns of action, state, or doctrine, and it reached English through Latin and French. English speakers attached it freely to existing words to name a practice, condition, or distinctive feature, which is how terms like "Americanism" arose. Put together, "dialectism" names a feature that marks a regional variety of speech, a turn of phrase or pronunciation that sets local talk apart from the standard language. The word is a straightforward English compound and its parts are clear in its meaning.

Synonyms: dialect, regionalism, vernacular, localism, colloquialism

Antonyms: standard language, formal language