Vernaculars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Local languages or dialects associated with particular communities or regions
2. Everyday language forms that reflect the unique speech patterns of specific societal groups
3. Languages or dialects spoken naturally in specific areas or by certain groups ; informal language or speech naturally used by particular communities

Etymology: The word "vernaculars" is simply the plural of "vernacular," and the original sense is startlingly personal: in Latin, "verna" meant a slave born in his master's household. The adjective "vernāculus" meant "domestic" or "home-grown," and it was used of things and people that belonged to the home rather than being brought in from outside. Only later did it come to describe the everyday speech of a place. The step from household to language is a short one. A tongue learned at home, from family and neighbours, was the native speech of a region, as opposed to the formal or learned languages used for church, law and scholarship. English took the adjective from Latin, and the noun plural now refers to those local languages in general.

Synonyms: dialects, languages, tongues

Antonyms: standard language