heteroglossia

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noun

The coexistence of distinct linguistic varieties, styles of discourse, or points of view within a single language, as in a literary work.

Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounheteroglossia (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesThe coexistence of distinct linguistic varieties, styles of discourse, or points of view within a single language, as in a literary work.

    A superficial impression of Asia may be of disorder, whereas this condition is in fact the immediate historicity that speaks for an undertheorised heteroglossia.

    2017, Francis Chia-Hui Lin, Architectural Theorisations and Phenomena in Asia, page 194

Origin

From hetero- + -glossia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Irish heitribhéascna
  • heitribhéascnacoexistence of distinct language varieties
Portuguese heteroglossia
  • heteroglossiacoexistence of distinct language varieties
Swedish heteroglossi
  • heteroglossicoexistence of distinct language varieties
Cite this entry
APA

heteroglossia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroglossia

MLA

“heteroglossia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroglossia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heteroglossia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroglossia.

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