lect
See also: -lect
Contents
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Use of the compound element -lect as an independent noun.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
lect (plural lects)
- (linguistics, sociolinguistics) A specific form of a language or language cluster: a language or a dialect.
- 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.
- 1980, Frederick B. Agard, The Genealogy of the French Language, published in Contributions to historical linguistics →ISBN, page 222:
Usage notesEdit
The term is used when it is not possible or preferable to decide whether something is a distinct language or only a dialect of a language.
SynonymsEdit
HyponymsEdit
- chronolect (a diachronically defined lect)
- sublect
- topolect (a geographically defined lect)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
variety