Curious Word: Patois

Today's curious word comes from the proofs of a highly esteemed publication, which is possibly illegal, so I'll keep my quoting and referencing to a minimum.

Actually, now that I have looked about the room, I realize I don't have those proofs, so I can't even be the fool that I planned on being. Aaaaaaanyway, the word is...

Patois, although without a formal definition in linguistics, can be used to describe a language considered as nonstandard. Depending upon the instance, it can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but is not commonly applied to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant. Class distinctions are embedded in the term, drawn between those who speak patois and those who speak the standard or dominant language used in literature and newscasts—the "acrolect" in professional jargon.

The origin of the French word patois is uncertain. One derivation^[1] is from Old French patoier meaning "to handle clumsily, to paw". The language sense may therefore arise from the notion of a clumsy manner of speaking. Alternatively^[2] it may derive from Latin patria (homeland) referring to the localised spread of the language variety.

Thank you, Wikipedia. I can't help but wonder if any famous impressionists betrayed evidence of this speech condition...perhaps Degas' patois?