Lecture 27: Words for Words
Vernacular (noun)Form of a language spoken by the common people, as opposed to the
learned and literary.Jargon (noun)Unintelligible or meaningless speech.z According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms, dialect,
vernacular, and jargon “all denote a form of language or a style of
speech which varies from that accepted as the literary standard.”z A dialect is a variety of a language
used by a group of speakers that is
often associated with a certain region
or social class. Dialects differ from
other varieties of the same language
in vocabulary, pronunciation, and
grammar. For example, the words
sub and hoagie—used in different
parts of the country for a type of
sandwich—represent a dialect
vocabulary difference.z Vernacular refers to the everyday
language used by everyday people.z Jargon refers to technical or
specialized language that is generally
unintelligible to people outside a
certain group or profession.Lingua franca (noun)A common language used by speakers of different languages to communicate.When Martin Luther translated
the Bible into vernacular
*HUPDQKHPDGHLWDFFHVVLEOH
WRSHRSOHZKRFRXOGQ¶W
understand the Latin of the
Bible used by the church.© mb-fotos/iStock/Thinkstock.