Subdialect

Not to be confused with Supradialect.

Subdialect (from Latin sub-, "under", and Ancient Greek διάλεκτος, diálektos, "discourse") is a linguistic term designating a dialectological category between the levels of dialect and idiolect. Subdialects are basic subdivisions of a dialect. Subdialects can be divided further, ultimately down to idiolects. Subdialects of one dialect are generally quite close to each other, differing mainly in pronunciation and certain local words.

See also

• Accent (dialect)
• Variety (linguistics)
• Language cluster
• Dubrovnik subdialect
• Laško subdialect
• Lwów subdialect
• Supradialect

Literature

• Joseph R. Applegate, "Phonological Rules of a Subdialect of English", Word, vol. 17/2 (1961), p. 186-193.
• Asta Leskauskaite, "The Periphery Subdialects of Southwestern Lithuania and the Slavic Languages", Acta Baltico-Slavica, 30 (2006), p. 391-402.