Dialect

di;a;lect pronunciation: function: noun usage: often attributive etymology: middle french dialecte, from latin dialectus, from greek dialektos conversation, dialect, from dialegesthai to converse — more at dialoguedate: 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 lt;the doric dialect of ancient greekgt; b : one of two or more cognate languages lt;french and italian are romance dialectsgt; c : a variety of a language used by the members of a group lt;such dialects as politics and advertising — philip howardgt; d : a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (as social class) lt;spoke a rough peasant dialectgt; e : register 4c f : a version of a computer programming language2 : manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology— di;a;lec;tal adjective — di;a;lec;tal;ly adverb