What makes a word feel real? What makes a character truly authentic? If you are going to be a writer– whether for film, fiction or any narrative form– you will want to ask yourself: what is vernacular, and why does it matter? Vernacular language grounds your story in authenticity. It is more than just how people talk, it is the difference between characters who feel like real people and those who sound like they stepped out of a 16th century phrasebook.
Before we dive into examples, let’s define vernacular clearly, then explore how it transforms storytelling.
Vernacular Meaning
First, what does vernacular mean?
Vernacular can seem deceptively simple– it’s just how people talk right? But how someone speaks can reveal everything. Behind the words is identity, subtext and context.
Let’s start with the basics: what is vernacular?
VERNACULAR DEFINITION
What is Vernacular?
Vernacular refers to the natural, everyday language used by people within a particular region, culture or social group. The word itself originates from Latin and originally referred to the language spoken at home– distinctly separate from formal or scholarly speech. Vernacular includes not just what people say, but how they say it– their word choices, accents, grammar and local expressions.
Unlike formal speech, vernacular language is intimate. It reflects lived experience and cultural identity.
Vernacular definition: The informal, native language or dialect spoken by people in a particular region.
Vernacular meaning: It’s how people actually talk in everyday life– slang, expressions, accents and cultural quirks that you wouldn’t find in a textbook.
To define vernacular more fully, it is not just about the words people say, but how they say them. This difference will ultimately shape your story.
What Does Vernacular Mean in Storytelling?
- Grounding your story in a place: A native New Yorker and a born and raised Southerner speak differently. This difference gives context, anchoring the narrative in a specific location and making the setting feel authentic.
- Revealing character identity: The way a character speaks can reveal their background, inner-world and personality. Language shows who someone is, and what they may flaunt or try to hide about themselves.
- Building authenticity: Dialogue that feels natural enhances the believability of a story and its characters.
- Shaping tone and realism: Whether it is a character’s sharp sarcasm or a child’s playful mispronunciation, the way a character speaks shapes the mood and tone of a scene and contributes to the realism of the narrative.
Vernacular definition vs Formal definition
Vernacular Language vs. Formal Language
Vernacular language is different when compared to more academic or formal styles of speech, sort of like the difference between how someone speaks to a close friend versus a boss at work.
For example:
Formal: “I am unable to attend the event this evening.”
Vernacular: “Can’t make it tonight.”
One feels like an automatic reply email. The other is human. In any story or screenplay, this difference is palpable.
Now that we are able to define vernacular and contrast it with other forms of speech, there is no denying its importance as it relates to storytelling. Some of the most memorable films do more than tell a story, they let their characters speak in ways that feel real and lived-in, allowing us to relate to the story through natural dialogue. So let’s dive into a few examples where words do more than sit on the script pages, they take action– creating a vivid interplay between language and feeling, allowing words to paint a picture.
Related Posts
What Does Vernacular Mean in Action?
How Vernacular Makes Lady Bird So Relatable
Let Greta Gerwig be the example that you don’t have to be a teenager to make a truly relatable coming of age film. Lady Bird is a pristine example of how a film’s authenticity stems from its attention to vernacular and the distinct language that defines a character and story setting. Set in Sacramento, California, the film captures the nuances of teenage life through its dialogue. Gerwig creates a world where the dialogue adds character, shaping the narrative.
For instance, in a pivotal scene, Lady Bird declares “I wish I could live through something,” expressing her desire for a life beyond the confines of her current circumstances and encapsulating the character’s yearning for independence and self-discovery. Audiences resonated with this moment in its raw honesty.
The interactions between Lady Bird, an angsty and rebellious teen and her mother, Marion, are laced with sarcasm and passive-aggressive retorts. The dialogue reflects the complexities of not only their relationship, but of a mother and her teenage daughter. The conversations feel familiar, nostalgic, as though we could look back and find a similar moment in the history of our own lives.
Through its nuanced use of vernacular, Lady Bird offers a prime example of authenticity in storytelling. The film’s dialogue creates a world that feels relatable, where each line serves not just as a means of communication but as a reflection of the setting, place, time and characters’ inner worlds.
What Does Vernacular Mean in Action?
The Florida Project: Vernacular as a Window into Hidden Lives
Sean Baker’s The Florida Project uses vernacular to authentically depict the lives of the “hidden homeless” set against the backdrop of a budget motel near Disney World. The film’s dialogue holds nothing back– capturing the raw, unfiltered speech patterns of its characters. The interactions between Moonee and her mother, Halley, are full of colloquialisms and informal language that, while reflecting their strained relationship, also ground the narrative in a specific socio-economic context.
An example of this is when Moonee, the resourceful six-year-old protagonist interacts with a tourist at a local ice cream stand. She says, “Excuse me. Could you give us some change, please? The doctor said we have asthma and we have to eat ice-cream right away.” This line showcases Moonee’s playful manipulation and overall savvy. She is casual and convincing when speaking, yet makes use of language to achieve her goals. In this situation, vernacular is used to reflect the way a child would speak if they were accustomed to navigating adult spaces.
Related Posts
More On: What does vernacular in Literature mean in action?
Vernacular in Literature
Lady Bird and The Florida Project both show how vernacular brings specificity and life to dialogue, but this technique didn’t originate in screenwriting. In fact, literature has long used vernacular to bring voice and realism to the page.
J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye uses vernacular in order to give life to teenager Holden Caulfield. Think of the iconic use of the word “phony”. Phrases like this become a part of the story– in this case, integrating Holden’s feelings of alienation, confusion and disdain for adult society without ever stating it outright.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird showcases vernacular both through regional dialect and situational nuance. “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’” (Rev. Sykes, Chapter 21). This seemingly simple sentence carries weight in the form of subtext. As a reader, we feel the reverence and tension of communal respect– a child being asked to recognize their father as something more sacred. The formality of “Miss Jean Louise” paired with the shortened “passin’” gives context to the story’s 1930’s Alabama setting.
More On: What does vernacular mean in action?
Vernacular in Action– Making Conversations Sound Real
For a deeper dive into how vernacular plays a role in shaping character and setting in film, check out this video:
What is vernacular? Writing Great Dialogue • Subscribe on YouTube
Vernacular Application
Using Vernacular in Your Own Writing
Understanding what vernacular means is one thing, using it as a narrative tool is another.
Here are some tips for integrating vernacular language into your own writing:
Observe: Listen to how people speak. Observe phrasing, cadence and vocabulary.
Get intimate with your characters: Where are they from? What social spaces do they inhabit? How do they talk to themselves when they are alone?
Find a balance: Remember that vernacular is aiding clarity in your story, not obstructing it. A little goes a long way.
Use subtext: The way something is said is often more important than what is being said. Use subtext to add depth.
What Is Vernacular and Why It Matters
Final Thoughts: Why Vernacular Matters
To circle back– what is vernacular? It is the lifeline of a character-driven story. Both Lady Bird and The Florida Project feel so authentic because of how they employ language– not just as a means of communication, but as a tool to shift how we experience a story. The best stories don’t tell us, they show us. Through them, we learn how language adds to the atmosphere– whether it is a quick comeback, a regional quirk, a deafening silence, or a tone steeped in emotional subtext. Vernacular is a storytelling choice that paints a picture without need for explanation. These choices invite us into the moment, allowing us to inhabit it rather than simply observe it.
Up Next
Say What? Writing Realistic Dialogue
Now that we have explored the meaning of vernacular and its relevance to storytelling, the next step is putting this knowledge to use in order to craft realistic dialogue. We will delve into the intricacies of crafting dialogue that resonates with authenticity and depth through understanding character voice, utilizing real-world observations and balancing exposition with subtext. We will focus on how to propel a narrative forward by refining dialogue in order to maintain audience engagement.
