demotic Hear it!

demotic Definition

de·motic (dē mätik)

adjective

    1. of the people; popular; specif., vernacular (sense )
    2. in or of idiomatic, colloquial, everyday language a novelist with a good ear for demotic dialogue
  1. designating or of a simplified system of ancient Egyptian writing

Etymology: ML demoticus < Gr dēmotikos < dēmotes, one of the people < dēmos: see democracy

noun

  1. Romaic
  2. everyday language; the way real people speak
Demotic Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • language: This is a short, lively, and readable introduction to recent developments in demotic language.
  • Scot: In spite of an Edinburgh childhood, and a later recognition of the splendid vernacular Garioch employed, Edinburgh demotic wisnae ma Scots.
  • script: It is in demotic script, which records the language actually spoken in Egypt at the time.
  • form: The iconography of contemporary history had by this time become a demotic art form.

Browse dictionary entries near demotic

  1. demoted
  2. demote
  3. Demosthenes
  4. demos
  5. demoralizing
  6. demoralizer
  7. demoralized
  8. demoralize
  9. demoralization
  10. demonstrator
  1. demoting
  2. demotion
  3. demount
  4. demountable
  5. Dempsey
  6. demulcent
  7. demur
  8. demure
  9. demurely
  10. demureness