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Glite Dictionary
sublanguage

sublanguage

8.6
A special set of words used by people in a particular job or field
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌblæŋɡwɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sublenguaje

Examples

  • The Spanish that Craig used in digital communication was a "sublanguage" of his use of Spanish in general; the same could be said of his use of Spanish in the classroom, which was affected by interactions with his teacher and classmates.

    Academic text (2015)

  • In programming, a sublanguage is often used to simplify complex tasks by using terms specific to a certain field.

  • Technical writers must understand the sublanguage of their subject to communicate effectively with their audience.

  • Each research discipline has its own sublanguage that includes terminology unique to that area of study.

Synonyms

language
vssublanguage
  • Jargon
600 4.8

A set of special words people use in a particular job or field

is a narrower, restricted form used by a subgroup or specific context
jargon
vssublanguage
43 7.2

Words used by a group or job that others cannot understand

is the broader restricted variety that may not be hard for outsiders

How Specialized

argot
  • Jargon
1 9.9
jargon
43 7.2
sublanguage
  • Specialized
8.6

Surface Forms

sublanguage singular
sublanguages plural

Morphology

sublanguage = language (semi-transparent) = sub + language

The meaning 'a subordinate or specialized form of language' is inferable from 'sub-' + 'language', but the precise technical sense 'restricted jargon or domain-specific variety' is somewhat specialized and not fully predictable for all learners.

Etymology

Sublanguage is built from sub- meaning 'under' or 'part of' and language meaning 'words and grammar', and the sub- is the same in familiar words like submarine. So a sublanguage is a smaller, special part of a language used by a field or group, which is why medical or programming language can seem different from everyday speech.