demotic

noun /dɪˈmɒt.ɪk/

1. Language as spoken or written by the common people.

   countable, uncountable

   Note the intrusion into British demotic (“me and Cheryl were having”) of the valley-girl quotative be, like.

   2010, John C. Wells, accents map

Where it comes from

First attested in 1822, from Ancient Greek δημοτικός (dēmotikós, “common”), from δημότης (dēmótēs, “commoner”), from δῆμος (dêmos, “the common people”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry demotic (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← demophobiademulcent →

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