PATOIS


Meaning of PATOIS in English

[ 'patwα: ]

■ noun ( plural same -wα:z ) the dialect of a particular region, especially one with low status in relation to the standard language of the country.

Origin

C17: Fr., lit. 'rough speech', perh. from OFr. patoier 'treat roughly', from patte 'paw'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.