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Patois: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Patois noun. A regional dialect spoken by ordinary people, distinct from the standard language.
How to say it
PAT-wah/ˈpatwɑː/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (PAT).
Patois in a sentence
Her grandmother switched into Jamaican patois whenever she was really cross.
Villagers chatted in the local patois, which the tourists couldn't follow.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- dialect
- vernacular
- creole
- lingo
Where patois comes from
From French, of uncertain origin.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Villagers chatted in the local _____, which the tourists couldn't follow.
- spoonerism
- patois
- mondegreen
Show the answer
patois: Villagers chatted in the local patois, which the tourists couldn't follow.