What does hyperlect mean?
Hyperlect means The variety of a language that is spoken by the aristocracy..
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Pronunciation varies by accent · noun
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from received pronunciation or BBC English, hyperlect now sounds, in our more egalitarian sonic society, affected and outdated, and has largely been abandoned by the younger generation in favour of a more neutral version, either based on radio and television speak, the over-voice of documentaries, what used to be called 'speaking nicely', or a version of so-called Estuary English.
While remaining a speaker of a unique hyperlect, the Queen now employs a diction which is (comparatively) demotic when judged against earlier recordings.
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 mobility in the 19th century made the elaboration of ever more subtle linguistic distinctions ever more important.
Use hyperlect when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Hyperlect means The variety of a language that is spoken by the aristocracy..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
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from received pronunciation or BBC English, hyperlect now sounds, in our more egalitarian sonic society, affected and outdated, and has largely been abandoned by the younger generation in favour of a more neutral version, either based on radio and television speak, the over-voice of documentaries, what used to be called 'speaking nicely', or a version of so-called Estuary English.
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