Londonese

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The distinctive English dialect spoken by people in London, with its own accent, slang and vocabulary
2. A form of English associated with London, especially its working-class accent and idioms
3. The regional variety of English heard across London, marked by local pronunciation and colloquial expressions

Etymology: Londonese is a playful coinage built on the name of the city plus the suffix "-ese", the same ending found in words like "Japanese" and "Portuguese", which marks a language or dialect associated with a place. Put together, the word names the way of speaking associated with London, and it has been used for the distinctive dialect and slang of the city's working-class speakers, as well as for the broader and more varied forms of English heard in the capital. The "-ese" ending did not originally carry the sense of a national language. It comes from the Old French and Late Latin suffix used to form adjectives and nouns of origin, so that "Chinese" and "Maltese" literally meant things belonging to China or Malta. English later extended the pattern to jocular formations, which is why a word like "Londonese" can be made on the spot to name a speech style, and why the same pattern produces playful terms such as "legalese" or "journalese" for the jargon of a particular trade.

Synonyms: London dialect, London slang