Dialect
Etymology
From Greek "dialektos" (discourse, way of speaking), from "dialegesthai" (to converse), from "dia-" (across) and "legein" (to speak). A dialect is at root simply a manner of speaking shared by those who talk with one another.
noun · /DY-uh-lekt/
A form of a language particular to a region or social group, differing in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
What it names
A whole variety of a language — not just an accent — and quietly raises the political question of what counts as a "language" at all.
Example
His grandmother’s dialect had words for kinds of rain that standard English simply lacked.
Related idea
A dialect differs in grammar and vocabulary, not just sound; an accent is only a difference in pronunciation — and the line between a dialect and a separate language is drawn as much by politics as by linguistics.