colloquials

Colloquials, or colloquial expressions, are words and phrases used in ordinary conversation. They characterize informal speech and are typically understood by speakers across a language, though they vary by region, dialect, and social group. Colloquials differ from formal or technical language and from slang in that they are widely used in everyday talk and are often considered acceptable in general discourse, though not in formal writing.

Characteristics include contractions such as gonna, wanna, and I'm; idioms like spill the beans; and pragmatic features that signal tone, stance, or relationship. They frequently reflect regional speech patterns, producing variants such as American English truck versus British English lorry, or apartment versus flat. They can also encode social identity or familiarity.

Usage: In spoken language, colloquials facilitate fluent, efficient communication and rapport. In writing, they appear mainly in dialogue, transcripts, or creative works seeking realism, or in informal communications; in formal prose they are usually avoided or quoted.

Distinctions: Slang refers to recently coined or group-specific terms that may be transient; jargon refers to specialized vocabulary used within a field. Colloquials cover everyday speech across broad communities and may become standard over time.

Origins and evolution: Colloquials arise from natural language change, contact with other languages or dialects, and social processes. They wax and wane as societies shift and dialects converge or diverge.

See also: Colloquialism, Idiom, Vernacular.