vernacular
/vɚˈnækjəlɚ/ noun C2- The language of a people or a national language. · The principal vernacular of the United States is English.
- Everyday speech or dialect, including colloquialisms, as opposed to standard, literary, liturgical, or scientific idiom. · Near-synonyms: basilect, demotic· Street vernacular can be quite different from what is heard elsewhere.
- Language unique to a particular group of people. · Near-synonyms: jargon, argot, dialect, slang· For those of a certain age, hiphop vernacular might just as well be a foreign language.
- A language lacking standardization or a written form.
- Indigenous spoken language, as distinct from a literary or liturgical language such as Ecclesiastical Latin.
- A style of architecture involving local building materials and styles; not imported.
Plural vernaculars
From the library
While standard English serves as the primary medium of education and commerce, the streets echo with a distinctly local vernacular known as Singlish.
Perhaps the most recognizable feature of this vernacular is its extensive use of pragmatic particles, particularly the ubiquitous“lah.”
When Singaporeans converse in this shared vernacular, they are participating in a rich cultural tradition that celebrates their collective history.
This auditory education proved indispensable, enabling him to pioneer a revolutionary vernacular style that decisively broke from the stiff formalities of older literary traditions.
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