diglossia

Diglossia refers to a language situation where two varieties of the same language are used in different contexts within a community. Typically, one variety (the "high" variety) is formal, used in education, media, and official settings, while the other (the "low" variety) is informal and used in everyday conversation. These varieties are mutually intelligible but have distinct vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammar. This division helps preserve cultural identity and tradition, but it also creates a clear social boundary between formal and informal language use within the community.