Vernacular Vernacular A vernacular, or vernacular language, is the language or variety of a language used in everyday life by the common people of a specific population. It is distinguished from a standard, national or literary language or a "lingua franca", used to facilitate communication across a large area. It is usually native, mostly spoken rather than written and usually seen as of lower status than more standardized forms. It can be a language, dialect or sociolect. Some linguists use "vernacular" and "nonstandard dialect" as synonyms. Usage of the word "vernacular" is not recent. In 1688, James Howell wrote: Concerning Italy,
People of the Book with the phrase among Christians themselves. Christian converts among evangelized cultures, in particular, have the strongest identification with the term "People of the Book". This arises because the first written text produced in their native language, as with the English-speaking peoples, has often been the Bible. Many denominations, such as Baptists and the Methodist Church, which are notable for their mission work, have therefore embraced the term "People of the Book". As stated on its official world website, the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) also embraces the term People of the Book. As also noted in its official flagship publication "Adventist