adjective / proper noun
demotic
dih-MAH-tik/dɪˈmɑːtɪk/
Belonging to the ordinary everyday language of a people.
Their demotic conversation includes the everyday phrase “Gonna grab lunch.”
Etymology
Greek dēmotikos meant “of the common people” or “in common use.” Applied to speech, this connection identifies the language people ordinarily use rather than a specialized or elevated variety.
More examples
- She favors demotic expressions over formal literary language.
- The candidate adopts a demotic style when speaking to voters.
- This demotic translation makes the ancient poems sound like everyday speech.
Similar words
- vernacular
- Emphasizes native or local language rather than learned language.
- colloquial
- Emphasizes informal conversation rather than ordinary language in general.