-lect

A variety within a language.

The second element of dialect.

The base term, dialect (Greek dialektos, discourse, way of speaking), is the form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group. Other words have been derived from it, including acrolect (Greek akron, summit), the most prestigious dialect or variety of a particular language; idiolect (Greek idios, own, distinct), the speech habits peculiar to a particular person; and sociolect (Latin socius, companion), the dialect of a particular social class.