Colloquialness

/kəˈloʊkwiəlnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being conversational, informal, or characteristic of everyday speech rather than formal language.

Etymology

From colloquial (Latin colloquium) + -ness (suffix forming abstract nouns expressing state or quality). A relatively modern coinage reflecting 20th-century linguistic analysis of speech registers.

Kelly Says

The colloquialness of English is what makes it feel alive and real compared to some other languages—it's why Shakespeare sounds like actual humans arguing instead of actors reciting scripts. The more colloquial a language feels, the more it spreads because people feel comfortable using it.

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