What term refers to the everyday language spoken by ordinary people during the Renaissance?

During the Renaissance, the term that refers to the everyday language spoken by ordinary people is known as "vernacular." This concept is particularly significant because the Renaissance was a period that marked a shift away from the use of Latin, which was predominantly utilized in scholarly works and religious texts. By embracing the vernacular, writers and thinkers began to make literature and ideas more accessible to the general populace. This contributed to the rise of national languages and the flourishing of local literature, enabling a broader dissemination of knowledge and fostering cultural identity among various communities.

The other terms do not accurately capture this idea: "Latin" refers specifically to the ancient language of the Romans that remained the language of educated discourse and scholarship. "Dialect" can denote a regional variation of a language but does not encompass the broader concept of everyday language used by the populace. "Dialectic," on the other hand, relates to a method of argumentation or discussion rather than to the spoken language itself.