Colloquialism vs. Vernacular

Colloquialism vs. Vernacular — Is There a Difference?
ADVERTISEMENT

Difference Between Colloquialism and Vernacular

Colloquialismnoun

A colloquial word or phrase; a common spoken expression, often regional.

Vernacularnoun

The language of a people or a national language.

A vernacular of the United States is English.

Colloquialismnoun

a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

Vernacularnoun

Everyday speech or dialect, including colloquialisms, as opposed to standard, literary, liturgical, or scientific idiom.

Street vernacular can be quite different from what is heard elsewhere.

Vernacularnoun

Language unique to a particular group of people; jargon, argot.

For those of a certain age, hiphop vernacular might just as well be a foreign language.

Vernacularnoun

(Roman Catholicism) The indigenous language of a people, into which the words of the Mass are translated.

Vatican II allowed the celebration of the mass in the vernacular.
ADVERTISEMENT

Vernacularadjective

Of or pertaining to everyday language, as opposed to standard, literary, liturgical, or scientific idiom.

Vernacularadjective

Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous.

a vernacular disease

Vernacularadjective

(architecture) Of or related to local building materials and styles; not imported.

Vernacularadjective

(art) Connected to a collective memory; not imported.

Vernacularnoun

a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves);

they don't speak our lingo

Vernacularnoun

the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)

ADVERTISEMENT

Vernacularadjective

being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language;

common parlancea vernacular termvernacular speakersthe vulgar tongue of the massesthe technical and vulgar names for an animal species