Dictionary of troublesome word. Bill Bryson. 2013.
dialect, patois — Both describe the form of language prevailing in a region and can be used interchangeably, though patois is normally better reserved for contexts involving French or its variants. He spoke in the patois of Yorkshire is at best jocular. The… … Dictionary of troublesome word
Patois — is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are… … Wikipedia
dialect — n 1 Dialect, vernacular, patois, lingo, jargon, cant, argot, slang denote a form of language or a style of speech which varies from that accepted as the literary standard. Dialect (see also LANGUAGE 1) is applied ordinarily to a form of a… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
patois — (patois is both the singular and the plural form; the singular form is pronounced [[t]pæ̱twɑː[/t]], and the plural form is pronounced [[t]pæ̱twɑːz[/t]].) 1) N VAR A patois is a form of a language, especially French, that is spoken in a particular … English dictionary
dialect — , patois Both describe the form of language prevailing in a region and can be used interchangeably, though patois is normally better reserved for contexts involving French or its variants. He spoke in the patois of Yorkshire is at best jocular … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
Patois — Pa tois (p[.a] tw[aum] ), n. [F.] A dialect peculiar to the illiterate classes; a provincial form of speech. [1913 Webster] The jargon and patois of several provinces. Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
patois — (n.) a provincial dialect, 1640s, from Fr. patois native or local speech, from O.Fr. patoier handle clumsily, to paw, from pate a paw, from V.L. *patta, perhaps imitative of the sound made by a paw. The language sense is probably from notion of… … Etymology dictionary
patois — [pa′twä΄; ] Fr [ pȧ twȧ′] n. pl. patois [pa′twäz΄; ] Fr [, pȧtwȧ′] [Fr < OFr, uncultivated speech, akin to patoier, to shake paws, behave crudely < pate, paw, akin to Frank * pauta > PAW1] 1. a form of a language differing generally from … English World dictionary
patois — *dialect, vernacular, lingo, jargon, cant, argot, slang … New Dictionary of Synonyms
patois — ► NOUN (pl. same) ▪ the dialect of a region, differing in various respects from the standard language of the country. ORIGIN French, rough speech … English terms dictionary
