/di mot"ik/ , adj.
1. of or pertaining to the ordinary, everyday, current form of a language; vernacular: a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms.
2. of or pertaining to the common people; popular.
3. of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt between 700 B.C. and A.D. 500.
n.
4. demotic script.
5. ( cap. ) Also called Romaic . the Modern Greek vernacular (distinguished from Katharevusa ).
[ 1815-25; demotikós popular, plebeian, equiv. to demót ( es ) a plebeian (deriv. of dêmos; see DEMO-) + -ikos -IC ]