diglossia means the coexistence in a given population of two closely related native languages or dialects, one of which is regarded as more prestigious than the other; the similar coexistence of two unrelated languages.
diglossia is pronounced /ˌdaɪˈɡlɒsi.ə/.
Why “diglossia” is a great word
The stable coexistence within a speech community of two distinct varieties of the same language, one of high prestige for formal contexts and one of low prestige for everyday communication. From Latin diglōssia, from Ancient Greek δίγλωσσος (díglōssos, "bilingual"), from δι- (di-, "two") + γλῶσσα (glôssa, "tongue, language") + -ία (-ía, noun-forming suffix), coined in its modern linguistic sense in 1959 by Charles A. Ferguson, based on French diglossie. Unlike "bilingualism," which describes proficiency in two separate languages, or "code-switching," which is the conversational act of moving between them, diglossia is the inherited, often unspoken, societal framework that dictates which tongue belongs to the plaza and which to the parliament. It is the Arabic of the mosque and the Arabic of the kitchen; the child reciting holy verses in a classical register he does not speak at home; the official document drafted in a loftier syntax than the street—a permanent duality where the language of power remains ever slightly out of reach, a map of belonging drawn in invisible ink.
Etymology
From Latin diglōssia. In linguistics introduced 1959 by Charles A. Ferguson, based on French diglossie, from Ancient Greek δίγλωσσος (díglōssos, “bilingual”) + -ία (-ía). Equivalent to di- + -glossia.
noun
- The coexistence in a given population of two closely related native languages or dialects, one of which is regarded as more prestigious than the other; the similar coexistence of two unrelated languages.
- The presence of a cleft or doubled tongue.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- digraphia 88% match — The concurrent use of two scripts for the same spoken language. vs diglossia →
- heteroglossia 85% match — The coexistence of distinct linguistic varieties, styles of discourse, or points of view within a single language, as in a literary work. vs diglossia →
- vernacular 84% match — The language of a people or a national language. vs diglossia →
- hyperlect 84% match — The variety of a language that is spoken by the aristocracy. vs diglossia →
- paralect 84% match — An idiolect that closely approximates the dominant or most prestigious language form, but differs slightly, reflecting the speaker's original dialect, especially as regards to accent. vs diglossia →
- intercomprehension 82% match — The ability to comprehend each other in spite of speaking different languages. vs diglossia →
- paralexicon 82% match — A parallel set of vocabulary within a language, e.g. a formal register, ritual language or secret cant, code switching vs diglossia →
- polyglot 82% match — A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages. vs diglossia →