acrolect

English

Etymology

From acro- (“tip; peak”) +‎ -lect, coined by William Alexander Stewart in 1965.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.ɹə.lɛkt/

Noun

acrolect (plural acrolects)

1. (sociolinguistics) The variety of speech that is considered most suitable for formal occasions (typically using only standard forms).

   Coordinate terms: mesolect, basilect; hyperlect

   • 1994, Michael Montgomery, The Crucible of Carolina, University of Georgia Press, →ISBN, page 60:

     In one dimension change is directed toward the acrolect, the “typical” change in the creole continuum.

   • 2013, Allan Bell, The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 83:

     At the other end of the continuum is the most standard speech, the acrolect. In between is a gradient of forms with many successive levels, the mesolects.

Derived terms

• acrolectal

Translations

variety of speech that is considered the standard form

Catalan: acrolecte (ca) m Dutch: acrolect n Finnish: akrolekti French: acrolecte (fr) German: Akrolekt (de) m Indonesian: akrolek Irish: ardchanúint f Italian: acroletto m, acroletto m Malay: akrolek Portuguese: acroleto m Spanish: acrolecto m

See also

• code-switching
• matrilect

Further reading

• post-creole continuum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English acrolect.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌaː.kroːˈlɛkt/
• Hyphenation: acro‧lect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Noun

acrolect n (plural acrolecten, diminutive acrolectje n)

1. the acrolect; the high-prestige register of a language, mainly used in formal settings

   Antonym: basilect