Dictionary

interintelligible en · ADJ

Etymology

From inter- + intelligible.

Meanings

1. Of a speech variety, able to be understood by speakers of another variety.
   • The sense of independence from London norms ... was difficult to establish with the obvious reality in mind that English, Scottish, Irish, American, Australian and other Englishes are, after all, interintelligible and undoubtedly varieties of one and the same language. 1995, Manfred Görlach, More Englishes: New Studies in Varieties of English, 1988-1994, John Benjamins, page 128:
   • The Okrika dialect, with Kalabari and Bonny, falls into the North-Eastern group of dialects which are partially interintelligible with Brass-Ndembe but not with the Central-Western dialects. 1962, Kay Williamson, “Changes in the Marriage System of the Okrika Ijo”, in Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 32(1): 53-60:

Forms

Relateds

interintelligibility

Synonyms

mutually intelligible