Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 13, 2026

Subdialect

Subdialect is a linguistic term designating a dialectological category between the levels of dialect and idiolect. Subdialects are basic subdivisions of a dialect. Subdialects can be divided further, ultimately down to idiolects. Subdialects of one dialect are generally quite close to each other, differing mainly in pronunciation and certain local words.

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Subdialect (from Latin sub-, "under", and Ancient Greek διάλεκτος, diálektos, "discourse") is a linguistic term designating a dialectological category between the levels of dialect and idiolect. Subdialects are basic subdivisions of a dialect.1 Subdialects can be divided further, ultimately down to idiolects. Subdialects of one dialect are generally quite close to each other, differing mainly in pronunciation and certain local words.

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Definition of Subdialect by Merriam-Webster

Literature

  • Joseph R. Applegate, "Phonological Rules of a Subdialect of English", Word, vol. 17/2 (1961), p. 186-193.
  • Asta Leskauskaite, "The Periphery Subdialects of Southwestern Lithuania and the Slavic Languages", Acta Baltico-Slavica, 30 (2006), p. 391-402.