I understand that the word 'vernacular' pertains to people of specific country or region but can it apply to 'communities' beyond that, like specialty fields, such as 'the vernacular of psychology', for example? (Sorry for any poor grammar such as my use of inverted commas, brackets or other things I'm unaware of - I'm working on it... trying to. It's challenging to know what to ask when you don't know what you need to ask ha ha)
Thanks! :D
The answer by lbf clearly shows that vernacular is sometimes used for a jargon a particular profession, and that such use of the word can be found in respectable sources. It therefore cannot be dismissed as incorrect.
The OP’s hesitation to so use it nevertheless manifests a sound linguistic intuition. Using the word in this way is in conflict with how it has been used traditionally. In its original sense, the word stands for the language spoken by ordinary people, i.e. people without specialised education. Its primary purpose has been to contrast such everyday language with the ways of speaking that can be understood only by those who are initiated into a particular field of knowledge. Saying that something is a vernacular has traditionally implied precisely that it is not jargon. I suspect that it is used for a jargon of something like psychology only by those who are unfamiliar with its original meaning. Although such use can be defended, as was well done by lbf, it may be prudent to avoid it, because it is likely to rub the wrong way those who are familiar with the original meaning of the word.
vernacular OED
- transf. The phraseology or idiom of a particular profession, trade, etc.
You question:
I understand that the word 'vernacular' pertains to people of specific country or region but can it apply to 'communities' beyond that, like specialty fields, such as 'the vernacular of psychology', for example?
Yes, the vernacular of psychology is correct. Many professions and trades can have their own vernaculars.
As in:
The consequences of declining DNR and electing CPR when breathing and pulse stop — “coding,” in I.C.U. vernacular — were also made clear. New York Times Aug 6, 2012
and
These ripples, known as gravitational waves, would manifest as corkscrew patterns in the direction of polarization of the cosmic microwaves — “B-modes,” in the physics vernacular. New York Times Jun 18, 2014
and
We help government leaders understand the vernacular of disaster recovery including common funding sources and challenges. SalonSep 14, 2018
