dialect
part of speech
noun (a dialect, dialects; dialect, uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
A dialect is a form of a language spoken in a particular area or by a particular group, with its own words, grammar and pronunciation. tree →
sense in the lessons
In English lessons, children learn that English has many dialects: in Scotland a small child can be a «bairn», in parts of England people say «nowt» for nothing, and Americans say «sidewalk» where the British say «pavement». No dialect is wrong; Standard English is the form usually used in school writing. In stories dialect shows where a character comes from. Phrases: local dialect, regional dialect, speak in dialect, Standard English.
examples
- My grandad speaks a strong Yorkshire dialect. tree →
- In some dialects, «wee» means small. tree →
- The book's characters speak in dialect. tree →
- Every region has its own dialect words. tree →
- Standard English is used in most school writing. tree →
- The children laughed at the funny dialect word for «bread roll». tree →
- American English and British English differ like dialects. tree →
- I have modified the dialect and changed “Mally” into “Molly.” tree →
note
Countable (a dialect, dialects) and uncountable (written in dialect). Pronounced DY-a-lekt. A dialect is not the same as an accent: an accent is only how words sound, a dialect also includes different words and grammar.
In the corpora
- Different orca groups eat different food and use different call «dialects», and they do not mix.
- Looking down on a country way of talking is an old snobbish idea; every dialect is fine.
- Dialect and slang can be written inside speech marks to show a character's voice.
- A dialect is a variety of a language with its own words and grammar, spoken by a group or in a place.
- An accent is the way words sound; any dialect, including Standard English, can be spoken in any accent.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «dialect» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.