Cant is an example of a cryptolect, a characteristic or secret language used only by members of a group, often used to conceal the meaning from those outside the group.

The original meaning of "Cant" was a secret language supposedly used by rogues and vagabonds in Elizabethan England. This Thieves' Cant was a feature of popular pamphlets and plays particularly between 1590 and 1615, but continued to feature in literature through the eighteenth century. There are questions about how genuinely the literature reflected vernacular use in the criminal underworld. A rogue is set apart from the normal order, and acts in an independent manner. ... Vagabond refer to: Vagabond, an itinerant person, Vagabond, a manga by Takehiko Inoue, Vagabond, a movie by Agnès Varda, Vagabond, a Marvel Comics universe character. ... The Elizabethan Era is the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked... Thieves Cant (flash lingo, gibberish, patter flash, slang) is a secret language (or cryptolect) formerly used in Great Britain, and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries, by thieves, beggars and hustlers of various kinds. ... The vernacular is the native language of a country or locality. ...

In modern times "Cant" is used sometimes to refer to Shelta (alternatively known as Sheldru, Gammon, or The Cant), the cryptolectic language of Irish Travellers based on Irish Gaelic and English. Shelta (also known as Gammen, Sheldru, or simply the Cant) is a language spoken by parts of the Irish Traveller people. ... Irish Travellers are a nomadic or itinerant people of Irish origin living in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. ... Irish (Gaeilge), a Goidelic language spoken in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, is constitutionally recognized as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

An example of a cant language which has been introduced widely into the mainstream is the homosexual Polari language which was used extensively in the BBC radio series Round the Horne during the 1960s. Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Polari (or alternatively Palare, from Italian parlare, to talk) was a form of cant slang used in the gay subculture in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, although its origins can be traced back to at least the nineteenth century. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the publicly-funded radio and television broadcasting corporation of the United Kingdom (see British television). ... Round the Horne was one of the most influential BBC Radio comedy programmes, comparable to The Goon Show in its influence on other comedy programmes. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...

Examples of cants

• Thieves' cant -- language used mostly in former times by thieves, beggars and hustlers.
• Shelta language/Gammon/Travellers' cant - spoken by some Irish Travellers
• Polari (or Palare) - spoken by members of the British gay community in the 20th century, made well-known by Julian and Sandy in the radio show Round the Horne.
• Rechtub klat - Australian butchers' backwards code-speak
• Carny - The secret language of carnival workers
• Barallete
• Bron
• Gacería
• fala dos arxinas

Thieves Cant (flash lingo, gibberish, patter flash, slang) is a secret language (or cryptolect) formerly used in Great Britain, and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries, by thieves, beggars and hustlers of various kinds. ... Shelta (also known as Gammen, Sheldru, or simply the Cant) is a language spoken by parts of the Irish Traveller people. ... Irish Travellers are a nomadic or itinerant people of Irish origin living in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. ... Polari (or alternatively Palare, from Italian parlare, to talk) was a form of cant slang used in the gay subculture in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, although its origins can be traced back to at least the nineteenth century. ... The notion of the gay community is complex and slightly controversial. ... Julian and Sandy were characters on the BBC radio programme Round the Horne, played by Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick, with scripts written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. ... Round the Horne was one of the most influential BBC Radio comedy programmes, comparable to The Goon Show in its influence on other comedy programmes. ... Rechtub klat is a cryptolect used by butchers in Australia to hold conversations without customers overhearing. ... Carny is slang for a carnival worker, as well as the language they employ. ... A travelling funfair has many attractions, run by different showmen, who all converge for the duration of the fair, then go their separate ways to set up at fairs in other towns. ... Barallete was the name of an argot employed by the peripatetic knife-sharpeners and umbrella holders (afiladores y paraguerios) of the Galician city of Ourense. ... Bron is an argot spoken by itinerant coppersmiths and fabric merchants in Miranda de Avilés (a principality of Asturias, Spain), Fornela (León, Spain) and Auvergne, France. ... Gacería (Basque for nonsense, cleverness[1]) is the name of a jerga or argot employed by the trilleros (or makers of the trillo, or harrow) and the briqueros (or makers of the brica, or sieve) in the village of Cantalejo, in the Spanish province of Segovia. ... Fala dos arxinas or Verbo dos arginas (in Spanish, jerga de los canteros) (Galician, argot of stonecutters) is the name of an argot employed by stonecutters in the Spanish region of Galicia, particularly in the area of Pontevedra. ...

See also

• Jargon
• slang
• lingo
• argot
• patois
• vernacular