Sociolinguistic Terms

noun a person who studies linguistics

• The linguist conducted a thorough analysis of the ancient text.
• My friend is a linguist and can speak multiple languages fluently.
• I heard that new linguist at the office is a real language whiz.
• As a linguist of emotions, she could decipher the unspoken words in his eyes.

noun a regional form of a language, especially one with a nonstandard pronunciation or vocabulary

• The linguist studied the unique patois spoken in the region.
• I love listening to the local patois when I visit my grandparents.
• The patois they speak in that neighborhood is so cool.
• His writing style is like a linguistic patois, blending different influences seamlessly.

noun a meal that is eaten between lunch and dinner, typically in the late afternoon

• The group gathered for a midday meal, which they referred to as dunch.
• Let's grab a quick dunch before heading back to work.
• I'm feeling a bit peckish, wanna go for a dunch at that new cafe?
• His ideas were just a dunch of random thoughts thrown together.

noun a variety of a language that is considered the standard form and is typically associated with educated speakers

• The acrolect is the form of a language that is considered the most prestigious or standard.
• The acrolect is like the posh version of how people speak.
• Speaking in acrolect is like talking all fancy and proper.
• In a social setting, using acrolect can be seen as a way to show off one's education and status.