Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
The speech form, variety (lect) of a particular place or region.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, social-science, sociolinguistics, sociology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: geolect, regiolect, regionalect
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A regional variety of Chinese; especially a lect other than Standard Mandarin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: fangyan, regionalect
Antonyms: none provided
History
Combination of topo- (“place”) + -lect (“[language] variety”). Attested since the 1960s, but rare until its introduction by sinologist Victor Mair in 1991 to distinguish Chinese 方言 (fāngyán) from English dialect.
Across languages
10 source translations are retained for this English entry.
