mesolect: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic / Technical Linguistics
Quick answer
What does “mesolect” mean?
A variety of a language, particularly a creole, that is intermediate between the most prestigious (acrolect) and the most colloquial (basilect) forms.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A variety of a language, particularly a creole, that is intermediate between the most prestigious (acrolect) and the most colloquial (basilect) forms.
A linguistic register or dialect used in informal but not intimate social situations; more broadly, any intermediate form on a dialect continuum.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical; the term is specialist and used predominantly in academic contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral, descriptive, and technical.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse; used almost exclusively within linguistics.
Grammar
How to Use “mesolect” in a Sentence
[speakers/community] + [use/employ/speak] + [the/a] + mesolect[The] + mesolect + [displays/exhibits/contains] + [features]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mesolect” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The mesolect in Jamaican speech communities often incorporates more Standard English features than the basilect.
- Linguists studied the grammatical markers characteristic of the local mesolect.
American English
- Her research focuses on how children acquire the mesolect in a bilingual community.
- The mesolect serves as a crucial bridge in the dialect continuum.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Standard term in sociolinguistics, dialectology, and creole studies for describing language variation and change.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Precise term for classifying language varieties on a prestige/formalness continuum.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mesolect”
- Using it to mean 'mediocre dialect' (it is descriptive, not evaluative).
- Confusing it with 'idiolect' (an individual's speech).
- Capitalising it as a proper noun.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While it originated and is most frequently used in creole studies, it can be applied to any speech community with a continuum of varieties, such as a regional dialect spectrum.
A sociolect is a variety associated with a particular social group. A mesolect is a specific type of sociolect defined by its intermediate position on a prestige/formality scale within a community's range of varieties.
Yes, individual speakers often command a range of registers (a repertoire). They may use the mesolect in specific social contexts, shifting towards the acrolect in formal settings or the basilect in intimate ones.
From a descriptive linguistic viewpoint, it is neither correct nor incorrect. It is a systematic, rule-governed variety appropriate for certain contexts within its speech community.
A variety of a language, particularly a creole, that is intermediate between the most prestigious (acrolect) and the most colloquial (basilect) forms.
Mesolect is usually academic / technical linguistics in register.
Mesolect: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɛzə(ʊ)lɛkt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɛzoʊˌlɛkt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a MEdium SOCioLET; the middle social/linguistic layer.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SPECTRUM / CONTINUUM (mesolect is a point on the scale between high and low).
Practice
Quiz
Which term describes a language variety that is intermediate in prestige and formality between two extremes?