Word of the Day: Patois

A patois is a regional dialect, which is different from the standard or literary language. A synonym of patois is jargon. It comes from the French patois, which means local speech.

I asked for a few words in patois. Mr. Gex said that words for the same thing can differ not only from one valley to the next but even from one village to another within the same valley, though each can understand the other. (NY Times)

Plans to translate the Bible into patois — Jamaica’s unofficial language — have ignited a fiery debate that stretches beyond the shores of this island nation. (USA Today)

Join Over 50,000 Email Subscribers and Get a Free eBook!

  • Subscribe to DailyWritingTips.com via email and you'll be able to download our ebook, "Basic English Grammar."
  • You will also get all our writing tips delivered to your email inbox, completely free!
  • The download link will go along with the first email (you might need to wait up to 24 hours).

Have something to say?





Self Publish Your Book!

Popular Articles