A Regional Dialect

A regional dialect, also known as a
regiolect or topolect, is a distinct form of a language spoken in a

particular geographical area. If the form of speech transmitted from a parent to a child is a distinct regional
dialect, that dialect is said to be the child's vernacular.
In sociolinguistics, social dialect is a variety of speech associated with a particular social class or

occupational group within a society. Also known as a sociolect, group idiolect, and class dialect.
Language and Gender

"Across all social groups in Western societies, women generally use more standard grammatical forms than
men and so, correspondingly, men use more vernacular forms than women...
"[I]t is worth noting that although gender generally interacts with other social factors, such as status, class,
the role of the speaker in an interaction, and the (in)formality of the context, there are cases where the
gender of the speaker seems to be the most influential factor accounting for speech patterns. In some
communities, a woman's social status and her gender interact to reinforce differential speech patterns
between women and men. In others, different factors modify one another to produce more complex
patterns. But in a number of communities, for some linguistic forms, gender identity seems to be a primary
factor accounting for speech variation. The gender of the speaker can override social class differences, for
instance, in accounting for speech patterns. In these communities, expressing masculine or feminine
identity seems to be very important."
Argo, jargon, professionalism, and slang are the terms which are used not only by linguists, but by people
with any other background in their everyday life. The everyday use of these terms contributes to the fact
that sometimes these terms are used interchangeably. Even linguists who do not work closely with these
notions may at times use one term instead of the other. However, there is a slight difference between these
terms. The goal of this post is to define each of these terms which, in turn, should help to understand them
better and to use them more accurately.
Below are the terms in question:
Argot (from Fr. argot [aʁˈɡo] – “slang”)
in the narrow sense was the language “used by beggars and thieves in medieval France” (Bussmann,
1998, p. 85);
more broadly, it is “any specialized vocabulary or set of expressions used by a particular group or class and
not widely understood by mainstream society” (Bussmann, 1998, p. 85).
Thus, it is possible to speak about the argot of thieves, the argot of underworld, or the argot of lower class.
An example of Parisian argot is piaf (bird; sparrow) – the standard French word for “bird” is “oiseau“.
“Cant” is another term which is synonymous to argot, but is used less frequently.
Jargon is the language “which is inaccessible to non-specialists” (Bussmann, 1998, p. 607).
Jargon is characterized by extensive use of terminology, exactness, and economy in transmitting meaning.
Foreign words, compounds, special prefixes, and metaphors are common in jargon.
Jargon is used by people belonging to a certain profession; therefore, it is possible to speak about the
jargon of programmers, linguists, or educators. Jargonisms (jargon words) can be used by people
intentionally in order to show that they are knowledgeable in a certain area.
Examples of jargonisms include “tech” (technician), “PC” (personal computer), “ABD” (all but degree – all
other requirements in an educational program have been met).
Professionalism is a synonym for a jargon word.
Slang (=slanguage) is “British or American variant of carelessly used colloquial language with explicitly
social and regional variants”(Bussmann, 1998, p. 1084).
Newly coined words and foreign (in fashion) words are some of the characteristic features of slang. While
jargon is acceptable (and sometimes even required) in documents and other formal style texts, slang is
considered to be informal and is not acceptable in formal document writing.
On the one hand, slang can be used by an individual to hide the meaning of what s/he is saying from other
people who do not belong to his/her circle of friends. On the other hand, slang can be used by an individual
to show that s/he belongs to a certain group of people (who also use this language). Slang is often
employed by teenagers, especially in order to show that they share interests with their peers.
Unlike jargon, slang is not based on any particular professional background. In other words, the same slang
word can be used by a doctor and a musician, by a truck driver and a fisherman. Unlike argot, slang is not
necessarily used by underclass people only.
Examples of slang include “chick” (girl), “a health geek” (a health-conscious individual).
Sometimes argot words, jargonisms, and slang words make their way to standard language and can be
easily understood by most people. For example, “awesome” (great), “smoke” (cigarette), “spooky” (scary),
“grub” (food).
Slang can be a separate word as shown in the examples above or a phrase, for example, “junk food”
(unhealthy food). A slang word or a slang phrase can have one or more meanings, for instance, the phrase
“to give a hand” has two meanings: 1) to help and 2) to applaud.
Any of the terms discussed above (argot, scant, jargon, professionalisms, and slang) are sometimes
referred to as a “secret language” due to the fact that not all people can understand such language even
though they are native speakers of the standard language in which this secret language functions.
An individual’s speech abundant in argot, jargon or slang can be referred to as “lingo” or a “sociolect”. The
former term underlines that it is a special type of language which (just as standard language) is used to
communicate, but is not understood by all. The latter term underlines the fact that sometimes argot, jargon
or slang can be more common in certain social milieu.
In brief, what is the difference between argot, jargon, professionalism, and slang? Argot is used by
underclass people and belongs to an informal style. Jargon (which is synonymous to professionalism) is
characteristic of a certain profession and can be either formal or informal. Slang is used by young people
and people sharing different professional interests or social backgrounds; slang belongs to an informal
style.
In linguistics, the register is defined as the way a speaker uses language differently in different
circumstances. Think about the words you choose, your tone of voice, even your body language. You
probably behave very differently chatting with a friend than you would at a formal dinner party or during a
job interview. These variations in formality, also called stylistic variation, are known as registers in
linguistics. They are determined by such factors as social occasion, context, purpose, and audience.
Registers are marked by a variety of specialized vocabulary and turns of phrases, colloquialisms and the
use of jargon, and a difference in intonation and pace; in "The Study of Language," linguist George Yule
describes the function of jargon as helping " to create and maintain connections among those who see
themselves as 'insiders' in some way and to exclude 'outsiders.'"

Language Currently Under Development Discovered
Registers are used in all forms of communication, including written, spoken, and signed. Depending on
grammar, syntax, and tone, the register may be extremely rigid or very intimate. You don't even need to
use an actual word to communicate effectively. A huff of exasperation during a debate or a grin while
signing "hello" speaks volumes.

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A regional dialect, also known as a

regiolect or topolect, is a distinct form of a language spoken in a

In sociolinguistics, social dialect is a variety of speech associated with a particular social class or

Language and Gender

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