Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The variety of speech that is most remote from the prestige variety, especially in an area where a creole is spoken. For example, in Jamaica, Jamaican Creole is the basilect whereas Standard Jamaican English is the acrolect or prestige language.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun linguistics A variety of a language that has diverged greatly from the standard form.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[basi– + (dia)lect.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From basi- +‎ lect.

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Examples

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Comments

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  • According to wikipedia, the "lower boundary of a post-creole speech continuum".

    The upper boundary is apparently called the arcolect.

    January 10, 2008

  • Huh. Who knew there was a post-creole speech continuum? Learn something new every day. :-)

    January 10, 2008

  • See also acrolect, mesolect.

    January 10, 2008

  • And architect.

    No, not really.

    January 10, 2008