Ethnolect

An ethnolect is a language form related to a specific ethnic group. It’s characterized by distinctive linguistic features (phonological, grammatical, or lexical) that reflect the group’s cultural identity and heritage.

Ethnolects are important in ethnic communities, highlighting language dialects that are formed and used among people of the same ethnicity.

Some examples of Ethnolects: #️⃣

• African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the United States.
• Multicultural London English (MLE) which is used in youth urban communities in London.
• Yiddish-influenced English spoken by some Jewish communities.
• Chicano English spoken among Mexican Americans.

Ethnolects are created and used by specific ethnic groups and are shaped by the group’s cultural and historical background. While ethnolects and dialects might sound confusing, remember that ethnolects focus on ethnic identity, while dialects include regional language variations, and include ethnolects and sociolects within themselves.