• n. 方言，土话；同源语；行话；个人用语特征
• adj. 方言的

dia-, 穿过，相互。-lect, 说，词源同lecture, legible. 即人与人之的对话交流，后用来指区域性的语言，即方言。

dialect

dialect: [16] The notion underlying dialect and its relatives dialectic [14] and dialogue [13] is of ‘conversation’. They come ultimately from Greek dialégesthai ‘converse’, a compound verb formed from the prefix dia- ‘with each other’ and légein ‘speak’ (source of English lecture and a wide range of related words). This formed the basis of two derived nouns.

First diálektos ‘conversation, discourse’, hence ‘way of speaking’ and eventually ‘local speech’, which passed into English via Latin dialectus and Old French dialecte (from it was produced the adjective dialektikós ‘of conversation, discussion, or debate’, which was eventually to become English dialectic). Secondly diálogos ‘conversation’, which again reached English via Latin and Old French.
=> lecture

dialect (n.)

1570s, "form of speech of a region or group," from Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus "local language, way of speaking, conversation," from Greek dialektos "talk, conversation, speech;" also "the language of a country, dialect," from dialegesthai "converse with each other," from dia- "across, between" (see dia-) + legein "speak" (see lecture (n.)).

1. In the fifties, many Italians spoke only local dialect.

在20世纪50年代，许多意大利人只会说当地方言。

来自柯林斯例句

2. Cockney is the colourful dialect spoken in the East End of London.

伦敦方言是在伦敦东区讲的颇有特色的地方语.

来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3. He wrote a play in a local dialect.

他用当地方言写了一个剧本.

来自《简明英汉词典》

4. After all these years she had reverted to her Veneto dialect and nobody could understand what she was saying.

这么多年后，她又开始讲威尼托方言，没有人能听懂她的话。

来自柯林斯例句

5. The dialect is spoken principally in the rural areas.

这种方言主要在农村地区使用。

来自辞典例句