Dialektalny

Dialektalny is a Polish adjective meaning "dialectal" or "relating to dialects." It is used in linguistics to describe linguistic features characteristic of a regional or social variety of a language rather than of the standard language. The term is formed from dialekt (dialect) and the adjectival suffix -alny, and its etymology traces to Greek via Latin.

In scholarly usage, dialektalny describes phenomena that occur in particular dialects, such as phonetic or phonological variations, lexical items, or syntactic constructions that set dialectal varieties apart from standard forms. It is used to categorize observations without implying superiority or inferiority relative to the standard language. The corresponding noun form is dialektalność, referring to the property of belonging to a dialect.

Typical examples of dialektalne cechy include differences in pronunciation, alternate vocabulary choices, and regional grammatical patterns. In written works on language, dialectal forms are often transcribed with spellings that reflect the local pronunciation or are marked as dialectal.

The concept is central to dialektology and comparative linguistics, where researchers document, compare, and analyze regional language varieties. See also dialektologia, język, wariant regionalny, standardowy.