Re: Boontling 'lingo'

Richard Hyde (rah@netcom.com)
Mon, 9 Dec 1996 16:59:05 GMT

David A. Kaye (dk@crl.com) wrote:

: I may be in error here, but I believe a lingo is a system of words
: purposely created (or at least purposely used) to confuse people outside
: the circle of people using it. I think a dialect is an unintentional
: regional variation on a standard language, and that a patois is a subset
: of a dialect.

Lingo: The vocabulary of a special class or group of people. I think,
technically, you can use lingo to describe any foreign language
but it more appropriately applies to constructions like
boontling or "hippie talk - way cool, man"

Creole: A creole is a former pidgen language that has developed into
the sole languge of a group or community.

Pidgen: A simplified form of language, often created between two groups
not sharing a common language. Imagine a trading situation...

Dialect: Not too far off from "lingo". A version of a language spoken
by a particular person or class. A variety of a language with
non-standard idiom, vocabulaty, or pronunciation.

Patois: A dialect of the common people - as opposed to the literary
dialect.

Cant: The special phraseology of a class, sect, profession, etc.

There is obviously a lot of overlap...

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| Richard Hyde | RaH@netcom.com | This space intentionally left blank |
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