Patois (en. Patois)

/patois/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

A vernacular or dialect, generally spoken in a specific region.

He speaks a patois that only the inhabitants of his village understand.

Il parle un patois que seuls les habitants de son village comprennent.

A form of language considered less prestigious or less standardized.

The local patois is often mocked by those who speak standard French.

Le patois local est souvent moqué par ceux qui parlent le français standard.

A Creole language with diverse influences.

Jamaican patois is a famous example of English Creole.

Le patois jamaïcain est un exemple célèbre de créole anglais.

From Old French 'patois', derived from Latin 'pactio' meaning 'agreement', used to denote the local way of speaking.

to speak in patois

To use a local dialect for communication.

parler en patois

street patois

An informal language used in urban contexts.

patois de la rue

dialect

A regional variation of a language.

dialecte

Creole

A language derived from several languages, often spoken in colonies.

créole

vernacular language

The language spoken by the people of a specific region.

langue vernaculaire

A simple language used for everyday communication.

He uses a patois to explain complicated things to the children.

Il utilise un patois pour expliquer des choses compliquées aux enfants.

A derogatory term for a crude language.

Some say that his patois is hard to follow.

Certains disent que son patois est difficile à suivre.