Sociolect

Sociolect is a noun that refers to a dialect of a particular class. Our word of the day is a fairly recent addition to English, originating in the 1970s. The prefix S-O-C-I-O means ‘related to society,’ while the suffix L-E-C-T refers to a dialect. When combined we get a word for a way of speaking unique to a social class. The guys I worked with on the dock spoke with a sociolect that distinguished them from my colleagues in law school. I often felt I needed a translator when going from one location to another.