The difference between Dialect and Idiom

When used as nouns, dialect means a variety of a language that is characteristic of a particular area, community or social group, often differing from other varieties of the same language in minor ways as regards vocabulary, style, pronunciation, and orthographic conventions, whereas idiom means a manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, person, or group of people.


check bellow for the other definitions of Dialect and Idiom

  1. Dialect as a noun (linguistics):

    A variety of a language that is characteristic of a particular area, community or social group, often differing from other varieties of the same language in minor ways as regards vocabulary, style, pronunciation, and orthographic conventions; either standard or nonstandard (vernacular).

    Examples:

    "hypo sociolect ethnolect regiolect"

  2. Dialect as a noun (pejorative):

    Language that is perceived as substandard or wrong.

  3. Dialect as a noun:

    A lect (often a or language) as part of a group or family of languages, especially if they are viewed as a single language, or if contrasted with a standardized idiom that is considered the 'true' form of the language (for example, Cantonese as contrasted with Mandarin Chinese, or Bavarian as contrasted with Standard German).

    Examples:

    "synonyms: vernacular patois q2=often derogatory"

  4. Dialect as a noun (computing, programming):

    A variant of a non-standardized programming language.

    Examples:

    "Home computers in the 1980s had many incompatible dialects of BASIC."

  5. Dialect as a noun (ornithology):

    A variant form of the vocalizations of a bird species restricted to a certain area or population.

  1. Idiom as a noun:

    A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, person, or group of people.

  2. Idiom as a noun:

    A language or language variety; specifically, a restricted dialect used in a given historical period, context etc.

  3. Idiom as a noun:

    An established expression whose meaning is not deducible from the literal meanings of its component words, often peculiar to a given language.

  4. Idiom as a noun:

    An artistic style (for example, in art, architecture, or music); an instance of such a style.

  5. Idiom as a noun (programming):

    A programming construct or phraseology that is characteristic of the language.