Dialect vs. Diglossia — Simple Summary
A dialect is a variation of a language used by people in a certain region or social group. Dialects differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. For example, Banyumas Javanese vs. Surabaya Javanese, or British English vs. American English.
A diglossia is a social situation where two forms of a language (or two different languages) exist together in a community, but each has a different function. One form is used for formal or official purposes (high variety), while the other is used for daily casual communication (low variety). For example, Standard Indonesian for speeches and news, while everyday Indonesian or local languages for informal conversation.
Focus Difference
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Dialect studies how language forms vary across places and groups (sounds, grammar, vocabulary).
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Diglossia studies when, where, and why people use formal or informal language varieties in society.
Illustrative Examples
Dialect example:
Jakarta, Medan, and Makassar varieties of Indonesian sound different but have equal status; there is no formal vs informal division.
Diglossia example:
Formal Indonesian for official speeches vs. informal Indonesian/local languages for daily talk.
In Arabic societies, Modern Standard Arabic is formal, while local dialects are for everyday use.

