colloquial

See also: col·loquial

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kəˈləʊ.kwi.əl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/, /kəˈloʊ.ki.əl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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.

Synonyms

• colloq., coll.

Derived terms

Derived terms

colloquialism colloquiality

colloquially colloquialness

Related terms

• colloquium
• colloquy
• slang

Translations

of oral communication language

• Arabic: (Eastern Arabic) عَامِّيّ ‎(ʿāmmiyy), (Western Arabic) دَارِج ‎(dārij)
• Armenian: խոսակցական (hy) ‎(xosakcʿakan)
• Bulgarian: разговорен (bg) m ‎(razgovoren)
• Catalan: col·loquial
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 口語 (zh), 口语 (zh) ‎(kǒuyǔ)

• Czech: hovorový (cs)
• Danish: dagligsprogs-
• Dutch: gemeenzaam, idiomatisch (nl), van de spreektaal, informeel (nl)
• Estonian: kõnekeelne (et), argikeelne
• Finnish: arkikielinen (fi), puhekielinen (fi)
• French: familier (fr), parlé (fr)
• Georgian: სალაპარაკო ‎(salaṗaraḳo)

• German: umgangssprachlich (de), Umgangs- (de) (noun prefix)
• Greek: κοινολεκτικός (el) m ‎(koinolektikós), δημώδης (el) m ‎(dimódis), καθομιλούμενος m ‎(kathomiloúmenos)
• 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
• Macedonian: разговорно ‎(razgovorno)
• Polish: kolokwialny (pl), potoczny (pl)
• Portuguese: coloquial (pt)
• Romanian: colocvial (ro), familiar (ro)
• Russian: разгово́рный (ru) m ‎(razgovórnyj), нелитерату́рный (ru) m ‎(neliteratúrnyj)
• Slovene: pogovorni m
• Spanish: coloquial (es), familiar (es)
• Swedish: vardaglig (sv)
• Thai: ภาษาปาก (th), ซึ่งปาก

Noun

colloquial ‎(plural colloquials)

1. A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism