etnolect

Ethnolect, also spelled etnolect in some contexts, is a language variety associated with a particular ethnic group. It encompasses distinctive phonology, vocabulary, syntax, and discourse patterns that arise from the group’s history, contact with other languages, migration, and social identity. Ethnolects are not necessarily spoken by every member of the group, and individuals may shift between multiple language repertoires depending on context.

Features of an ethnolect typically include loanwords and calques from the heritage language, unique pronunciation patterns, idioms, and syntactic or pragmatic tendencies that signal group membership. They can reflect ongoing bilingualism or multilingualism, as speakers draw on different linguistic resources in different social settings. Variation within an ethnolect is common, influenced by factors such as age, region, education, and individual experience.

Ethnolects are distinguished from dialects tied to geography; they are primarily tied to ethnicity and social identity. They relate to broader concepts such as the ethnolinguistic repertoire, which describes the set of language varieties a speaker uses across situations. Well-documented examples include Chicano English in Mexican American communities, African American Vernacular English, and various heritage-language–influenced English varieties in immigrant groups.

Social attitudes toward ethnolects can vary, with some forms stigmatized or perceived as markers of difference, while others are valued as expressions of cultural identity. Ethnolect studies intersect with issues in education, language policy, and sociocultural integration, contributing to understandings of language variation, identity, and power.