• According to the Online Etymology Dictionary,
the term jargon first appeared in the English
language in the mid-fourteenth century in
England. At the time, it meant “gibberish,
jabbering, chattering, unintelligible talk.”
• From the Old French word Jargon, which
meant “language, speech, idle talk, thieves,
or the chattering of birds.”
• The French term came from the Latin
word Garrire, which means “to chatter.”
• Was adopted into French and then Middle
English, in which the verb jargounen,
carried the same meaning as its Latin
equivalent
• In 1650s the term also meant “phraseology
peculiar to a profession or sect.”
• Jargon refers to the specialized
language of a professional or
occupational group.
• It is a form of shorthand that facilitates
communication among experts but can be
difficult for others to understand.
• Refers to a job-specific vocabulary – the
technical terms used by lawyers, politicians,
doctors, etc.
• Jargon plays a vital role in professional
communication.
• However, when overused or used
inappropriately, jargon can alienate or
confuse outsiders, leading to
miscommunication.
EXERCISE 1
• Group the words according to the field of their usage.
(medicine, Law, Finance, IT, Linguistics)
firewall habeas corpus asset
lexicon benign phishing
myocardial sentence parsing cash flow
appellate encryption neoplasm
counterclaim semantics equity
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Specialized Language: Jargon is a specialized
language used by particular groups, typically
professions, that facilitate succinct and precise
communication about complex ideas or practices
within that group.
• Efficiency: It allows for quick and efficient
communication among experts, as
complex concepts are encapsulated in
specific terms that are well-understood
within the group.
Identity Marker: Jargon can serve as an identity
marker that signifies membership within a
particular professional or social group.
• Barrier to Entry: For outsiders, jargon
can be a barrier to understanding,
potentially creating an exclusionary
environment.
• Misinterpretation Risk: Using jargon in the
wrong context, especially with those
unfamiliar with the terminology, can lead to
misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
• Accessibility: In an effort to make
information accessible to wider audiences,
it’s essential to either avoid jargon or provide
clear explanations when its use is
unavoidable.
Evolution: Jargon is not static; it evolves as new
technologies, processes, and theories develop
within a field.
• Overuse Caution: Overuse of jargon, even
among professionals, can lead to confusion
and can also be seen as a way to obscure
meaning or inflate the importance of a
message.
JARGON VS. SLANG
• Jargon should not be confused with slang, which is
informal, colloquial language sometimes used by a
group (or groups) of people. The main difference is one
of register; jargon is formal language unique to a
specific discipline or field, while slang is common,
informal language that is more likely to be spoken
than written.
• Due diligence: A business term, "due
diligence" refers to the research that should
be done before making an important business
decision.
• AWOL: Short for "absent without leave,"
AWOL is military jargon used to describe a
person whose whereabouts are unknown.
• Hard copy: A common term in business,
academia, and other fields, a "hard copy" is a
physical printout of a document (as opposed
to an electronic copy).
• Stat: This is a term, usually used in a medical
context, that means "immediately." (As in, "Call
the doctor, stat!")
• Phospholipid bilayer: This is a complex term
for a layer of fat molecules surrounding a cell.
A simpler term is "cell membrane."
• Detritivore: A detritivore is an organism that
feeds on detritus or dead matter. Examples of
detritivores include earthworms, sea
cucumbers, and millipedes.
• Holistic: Another word for "comprehensive" or
"complete," "holistic" is often used by educational
professionals in reference to curriculum that
focuses on social and emotional learning in addition
to traditional lessons.
• Magic bullet: This is a term for a simple solution
that solves a complex problem. (It is usually used
derisively, as in "I don't think this plan you've come
up with is a magic bullet.")
• Best practice: In business, a "best practice" is one
that should be adopted because it has proven
effectiveness.
ARGOT
• A secret language or conventional slang peculiar
to thieves, tramps and vagabonds
• A specialized idiomatic vocabulary peculiar to a
particular class or group of people, especially
that of an underworld group, devised for private
communication and identification
• The French word argot originally referred
to the language used by Parisian
criminals
• Was originally used to describe the slang of
thieves and rogues, who spoke in sneaky
ways that the upright citizen couldn’t
understand
• Can also be used to describe less criminal
kinds of vocabularies
• Argot is a specialized vocabulary or set of
idioms used by a particular social class or
group, especially one that functions outside
the law.
• Also called cant, cryptolect, anti-language
• French novelist Victor Hugo observed that
“argot is subject to perpetual transformation – a
secret and rapid work which ever goes on. It
makes more progress in ten years than the
regular language in ten centuries” (Les
Miserables, 1862).
• ESL specialist Sara Fuchs notes that argot
is “both cryptic and playful in nature and it is
… particularly rich in vocabulary referring to
drugs, crime, sexuality, money, the police,
and other authority figures “ (“Verlan,
l’envers,” 2015).
ARGOT OF THE RACETRACK
• Piker – small town gambler
• Ringer – illegally substituted horse
• Shoo-in – fixed race
PRISON ARGOT
• Ace duce – best friend
• Banger - a knife
• Billy – white man
• Dog – homeboy or friend
• Ink – tattoos
• Man walking – signal guard coming
OTHER EXAMPLES
• Awesome (great)
• Smoke (cigarette)
• Spooky (scary)
• Grub (food)
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF ARGOT
• “A streak of humor runs through the traditional argot.
Prisons were often described as schools, as in the
contemporary College of Correction, and the hulks
used to accommodate prisoners were the floating
academies. Brothels were convents or nunneries, the
prostitutes who worked in them were nuns, and the
madam was an abbes.” (Barry J. Blake, Secret
Language, 2010).
ARGOT VS. JARGON
• Both refer to a language specific to a certain
group of people.
• Jargon is difficult to understand because it is
technical, while argot is difficult to understand
because the people using it don’t want you to
understand.
SLANG VS. ARGOT
• Slang is distinguished from argot by being less
secret, more public, more generally available and
more ‘respectable’.
• As the language of deviant groups, argot is itself a
mode of deviance, a gesture of defiance against
the straight world.
EXIT PASS
• In not more than five (5) sentences, state the
usefulness of jargon and argot language in
your life as an English major.