acrolectaladj.
/akrəˈlɛktl/, U.S. /ˌækrəˈlɛktəl/ Linguistics.
Relating to or characteristic of an acrolect.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > a language > dialect > [adjective] > terms relating to social or class dialects
patois1783
non-U1954
sociolectal1968
acrolectal1971
mesolectal1976
basilectal1977
1971 Found. Lang. 7 484 In my reinterviews, he was one of the speakers who modulated ‘upwards’, though by no means to acrolectal levels.
1977 Language 53 334 There is very little discussion on Providence Island about acrolectal talk, but there is a tremendous amount of speculation about the basilect.
1980 Eng. World-wide 1 i. 81 The use of acrolectal varieties is not denied in an appropriate environment.
1983 Amer. Speech 58 272 Nassauvian for a native Bahamian is considered acrolectal in contrast to the basilectal Nassau man.
1992 Eng. Today Jan. 10/1 In an examination of two hours of acrolectal speech, we found only one occurrence of a non-Kamtok auxiliary, will.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1971