colloquial

English

Etymology

1751, from earlier term colloquy (a conversation), from Latin colloquium (conference, conversation), from con- (together) + loqui (speak).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈkə.ləʊ.kwil̩/, X-SAMPA: /"k@.l@U.kwil=/
• (US) IPA: /kəˈloʊ.kwiəl/, /kəˈloʊ.kiəl/

Adjective

colloquial (comparative more colloquial, superlative most colloquial)

1. (linguistics) Denoting a manner of speaking or writing that is characteristic of familiar conversation; informal.
2. Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.

Usage notes

Note that while colloquy and colloquium refer to formal conversation, colloquial refers instead specifically to informal conversation.

Derived terms

• colloquialism
• colloquially
• colloquialness
• colloquiality

Related terms

• colloquium
• colloquy
• slang

Translations

of oral communication language

• Arabic: (Eastern Arabic) عامي (ar) (`aammiy), (Western Arabic) دارج (ar) (daarij)
• Bulgarian: разговорен (bg) (razgovoren) m 
• Catalan: col·loquial
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 口語 (cmn), 口语 (cmn) (kǒuyǔ)

• Czech: hovorový (cs) m
• Danish: dagligsprog (da)s-
• Dutch: gemeenzaam, idiomatisch, van de spreektaal, informeel
• Estonian: kõnekeelne (et), argikeelne (et)
• Finnish: arkikielinen (fi), puhekielinen (fi)
• French: familier (fr), parlé (fr)
• Georgian: სალაპარაკო (ka) (salaparako)

• German: umgangssprachlich (de), Umgangs- (de) (noun prefix)
• Greek: κοινολεκτικός (el) (koinolektikós) m 
• Japanese: 口語体(こうごたい, kōgotai), 話し言葉の (はなしことばの, hanashikotoba no), 口語の (ja) (こうごの, kōgo-no)
• Luxembourgish: ëmgangssproochlech (lb)
• Polish: kolokwialny (pl) m, potoczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: coloquial (pt)
• Romanian: colocvial (ro), familiar (ro)
• Russian: разговорный (ru) (razgovórnyj) m , нелитературный (ru) (neliteratúrnyj) m 
• Slovene: pogovorni (sl) m
• Spanish: coloquial (es), familiar (es)
• Swedish: vardaglig (sv)