English

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Etymology

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acro- (tip; peak) +‎ -lect, coined by William Alexander Stewart in 1965.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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acrolect (plural acrolects)

  1. (sociolinguistics) The variety of speech that is considered most suitable for formal occasions (typically using only standard forms).
    Coordinate terms: mesolect, basilect
    • 1994, Michael Montgomery, The Crucible of Carolina, University of Georgia Press, →ISBN, page 60:
      In one dimension change is directed toward the acrolect, the “typical” change in the creole continuum.
    • 2013, Allan Bell, The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 83:
      At the other end of the continuum is the most standard speech, the acrolect. In between is a gradient of forms with many successive levels, the mesolects.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English acrolect.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˌaː.kroːˈlɛkt/
  • Hyphenation: acro‧lect
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt

Noun

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acrolect n (plural acrolecten, diminutive acrolectje n)

  1. the acrolect; the high-prestige register of a language, mainly used in formal settings
    Antonym: basilect