vernacular
n. C / Un. the everyday language or style used by ordinary people in a specific place. In building or art, it refers to styles that use local materials and traditional methods rather than fancy, international designs.
n. the native language or dialect of a specific population; in art and architecture, a style characterized by local traditions and materials rather than academic or professional standards.
The architect studied the local vernacular to design the new cottage.
While the cathedral was built in a grand Gothic style, the surrounding houses followed the simple timber-framed vernacular of the region.
The movement sought to elevate the aesthetic value of the rural vernacular, arguing that traditional craftsmanship offered more soul than the mass-produced structures of the industrial age.
From Latin vernāculus (“domestic, indigenous, of or pertaining to home-born slaves”), from verna (“a native, a home-born slave (one born in his master's house)”).
Often used as an uncountable noun for the general concept, or as a countable noun when referring to a specific regional style.