n.
Pronunciation: ' d ī - ə - ˌ lekt
Function: noun
Usage: often attrib
Etymology: Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos conversation, dialect, from dialegesthai to converse ― more at DIALOGUE
Date: 1577
1 a : a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language <the Doric dialect of ancient Greek> b : one of two or more cognate languages <French and Italian are Romance dialect s > c : a variety of a language used by the members of a group <such dialect s as politics and advertising ― Philip Howard> d : a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (as social class) <spoke a rough peasant dialect > e : REGISTER 4C f : a version of a computer programming language
2 : manner or means of expressing oneself : PHRASEOLOGY
– di · a · lec · tal \ ˌ d ī - ə - ' lek-t ə l \ adjective
– di · a · lec · tal · ly \ -t ə -l ē \ adverb