lect

See also: -lect

English

Etymology

Use of the compound element -lect as an independent noun.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /lɛkt/
• Homophone: -lect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Noun

lect (plural lects)

1. (linguistics, sociolinguistics) A specific form of a language or language cluster: a language or a dialect.

   Synonyms: code, idiom, languoid, variety

   Hyponyms: acrolect, basilect, chronolect, dialect, ethnolect, geolect, idiolect, mesolect, regiolect, sociolect, sublect, topolect; more

   Meronyms: lexicon, grammar, sublect

   Coordinate term: register

   • 1980, Frederick B. Agard, The Genealogy of the French Language, published in Contributions to historical linguistics, →ISBN, page 222:

     These, together with (some) Romansh lects, belong to our West Rhaetian; the /ȫ/ also supported by two lects from the Ticino which by our criteria are NWIt, and by the partially umlauting lects of Lombardy which together with (some) Engadine lects belong to our East Rhaetian.

Usage notes

The term is used when it is not possible or desirable to decide whether something is a distinct language or only a dialect of a language.

Derived terms

• lectal (adj)

 

Related terms

• -lect

Translations

linguistics, sociolinguistics: a specific form of a language or language cluster: a language or a dialect

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 語言變體／语言变体

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Esperanto: idiomo (eo)
• Finnish: lekti
• French: lecte (fr) m
• German: Lekt (de) m
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} nyelvváltozat (hu), lektus
• Portuguese: leto (pt) m
• Russian: лект m (lekt)
• Spanish: lecto (es) m

Anagrams

• CELT, Celt, celt