ethnolect

E1T1H4N1O1L1E1C3T1
/ˈɛθnəlɛkt/

noun

A language variety specific to an ethnic group.

“AAVE is an ethnolect of African Americans.”

OriginEnglish ethno- ← Ancient Greek ἔθνος (éthnos) →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounethnolect (plural ethnolects)

plural ethnolects

  1. A language variety specific to an ethnic group.

    AAVE is an ethnolect of African Americans.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἔθω (éthō)
  2. Ancient Greekἔθνος (éthnos)
  3. Englishethno-
  4. Englishethnolect

From ethno- + -lect.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans etnolek
  • etnoleklanguage variety
Chinese Mandarin 民族語言 /民族语言
  • 民族語言 /民族语言 (mínzú yǔyán)language variety
Danish etnolekt
  • etnolektlanguage variety
Finnish etnolekti
  • etnolektilanguage variety
French ethnolecte
  • ethnolectelanguage variety
German Ethnolekt
  • Ethnolektlanguage variety
Hungarian etnolektus
  • etnolektuslanguage variety
Indonesian etnolek
  • etnoleklanguage variety
Irish eitneachanúint
  • eitneachanúintlanguage variety
Italian etnoletto
  • etnolettolanguage variety
Polish etnolekt
  • etnolektlanguage variety
Portuguese etnoleto
  • etnoletolanguage variety
Romanian etnolect
  • etnolectlanguage variety
Russian этноле́кт
  • этноле́кт (etnolékt)language variety
Spanish etnolecto
  • etnolectolanguage variety
Swedish etnolekt
  • etnolektlanguage variety
Ukrainian етнолект
  • етнолект (etnolekt)language variety
Cite this entry
APA

ethnolect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnolect

MLA

“ethnolect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnolect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ethnolect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnolect.

Source: ethnolect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.