What is a Cant? The Secret Languages Explained

We can tell that you came here because you had one crucial question: "What is a cant?". So with no further ado, let's dive right into the world of secret languages.

A cant or cryptolect is a variant of a language developed for the purpose of being understood only by a specific group of people (or at least making it difficult to understand for those who do not know it). We can also talk about slang, argot, jargon, pseudo-language, anti-language, or secret language. Each term is not exactly synonymous, but people use them somewhat interchangeably. We will explain certain of these terms a bit later, so keep reading to learn:

• What a cant is in more detail;
• What it is used for;
• New info thanks to questions like "What is an argot?"; and
• Examples of cant around the world.

We cant wait to tell you more. Let's get started!

There are two main theories regarding the origin of the word "cant":

• It may come from Irish or Scottish Gaelic, where "caint" or "cainnt" means "speech" or "talk". The nomadic communities of Ireland and Scotland, who often spoke a mixture of Gaelic and English, developed their own hybrid dialects, known as "cant" or "shelta".

• Alternatively, it could come from the Latin "cantāre", which means "to sing" (via the Norman "canter"). It originally referred to the singing of monks but took on a negative connotation over time when applied to the chanting of beggars, eventually coming to mean a sort of deceptive speech.

So, whether you think of cant as a conversation or a singsong of beggars, the idea has always been the same: a cant is a secret language for the purpose of communicating with each other while remaining unintelligible to those outside the group.

One of the constants of human society is the tendency to form social groups that share common interests, values, and/or needs. And, as often happens, when a group creates a social demarcation, it also begins to build a linguistic demarcation. That's where cants come in. Cants have always been a way to express, within specific social or socio-professional groups, a sense of belonging to the group and to distinguish oneself from the mass of speakers. Initially, cants allowed groups such as thieves, beggars, merchants, and travelers to share information without others noticing.

For example:

• Thieves' cant in England was a secret code language used by criminals, beggars, and Roma.
• Shelta, as seen above, was spoken by Irish travelers.
• Polari was used by theater people and the emerging gay community in the United Kingdom (its origins can be traced back at least to the 19th century, if not to the 16th century).

As you can see, each group had its own version, an English secret language that combined real English words with invented or borrowed words. Over time, many words from these secret coded languages have made their way into everyday English. Have you ever said "bloke" or "nix" or even "ixnay"? Well, you've used a little bit of cant without even realizing it! The term "ixnay" in particular originates from the secret language known as Pig Latin. To learn more about this language game, visit our Pig Latin translator.

But English is not the only language creating and using cants. Check our Famous examples of cant around the world section and expand your cant knowledge.

As said in the introduction, people tend to use the terms "cant", "argot", "jargon", and more interchangeably. Though these words are very similar in meaning, they are not identical:

• Cant is a general term that refers to any secret or coded language used by a group.
• Argot (from French) is actually very close in meaning to cant. Argot serves to make a message incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with it. There are many different types of argot in every country and language. Each is specific to a particular group of people (young people, criminals, etc.)
• Jargon is a term borrowed from French by linguists of various languages and refers to a linguistic variety and sociolect. However, there is no consensus among linguists as to its definition and characteristics. The only common characteristic is that jargon is used by a specific category of speakers and is not understood by others. In English linguistics, the term "jargon" refers to specialized language that is inaccessible to non-specialists, typically used in fields such as technology and science. We talk about the jargon used by linguists, computer scientists, advertisers, farmers, and others.
• Language games, such as Pig Latin, which is not a real language, are playful versions of ordinary language, often used for fun by children or to keep a secret.

If you want to hop on the nostalgia train, head over to our two articles: How to speak Pig Latin: An Easy and Fun Guide and Who Speaks Pig Latin and Why It Still Matters. In no time, you'll be able to speak this English secret language fluently, just as you did when you were a child.

Cant has appeared everywhere, not just in English-speaking cultures. Here are a few examples to better understand what a cant is for other languages and countries:

• Verlan is a form of French cant that consists of reversing the syllables of a word (e.g., femme (woman) → meuf). The term "verlan" was created by reversing the syllables of the adverbial phrase "(à) l'envers".
• Lunfardo is a slang specific to the Río de la Plata region. It developed during the second half of the 19th century, following massive waves of European immigration. Originally used by the lower social classes, lunfardo eventually incorporated some of its words into the popular vocabulary of Argentina and Uruguay, and gradually spread throughout both countries, particularly in port cities with similar social characteristics.
• Bargoens refers to the sociolect spoken in the Netherlands during the first half of the 20th century by marginalized members of Dutch society, such as vagrants and tramps, street vendors, fairground workers, pimps, etc.
• Sheng (a contraction of the words "SwaHili" and "ENGlish") is a cant based mainly on Swahili and English. It originated in Nairobi, Kenya, and is influenced by the many local languages spoken there. Although it is mainly the language of urban youth, it has spread across all social classes. Geographically, it has reached Tanzania and Uganda.

Each of these began as a secret language, but many words are now part of everyday language.

In short, secret languages such as cant have existed for thousands of years. They evolve, disappear, leave traces, or are created from scratch: we may no longer speak exactly as the thieves of old London, but the current Internet or meme language is actually our new Shelta or Polari. This shows one thing: human beings, regardless of the era, always seek a sense of belonging and materialize a part of it through secret languages.