cryptolect
English
Etymology
crypto- (“concealed, hidden, secret”) + -lect (“[language] variety”)
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: krĭpʹtəlĕkt, IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪptəlɛkt/
- (US) enPR: krĭpʹtəlĕkt', IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪptəˌlɛkt/
Noun
cryptolect (plural cryptolects)
- (linguistics) A secretive language form used by a subculture; an arcane cant.
- Cockney rhyming slang developed originally from the cryptolects of London’s thieves and vagabonds.
Derived terms
- cryptolectal
References
- “cryptolect, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (draft entry, March 2006)