hyperlect

The variety of a language that is spoken by the aristocracy.

Noun

  1. The variety of a language that is spoken by the aristocracy.
    • Quite distinct from received pronunciation or BBC English, hyperlect now sounds, in our more egalitarian sonic society, affected and outdated, and has largely been abandoned by the younger generation in favour of a more...
    • While remaining a speaker of a unique hyperlect, the Queen now employs a diction which is (comparatively) demotic when judged against earlier recordings. - 2003, Speaking English: Journal of the ESB (International).:
    • The function of the hyperlect, whether in the 16th and 17th centuries or in modern times, was to maintain social distance between the aristocracy and the rising middle classes, whose escalating opportunities for social...

    Hypernyms: lect variety

    Coordinate Terms: acrolect mesolect basilect

Origin

From hyper- + -lect, Ancient Greek affixes meaning literally “overspeech”, that is, the speech of the overclass.

Forms

hyperlects