SECRET LANGUAGES. Many societies, ancient and modern, comprise special groups—distinct by racial, political, functional differences from the main community—and these special groups often preserve their identity and guard their independence by the use of a secret language. In secret societies, passwords are used and where hieratic functions are discharged by a special permanent class, the members of that group converse by means of secret languages. In cases like the Todas the use of a secret language is due to the desire to keep private affairs hidden from the preying curiosity of their neighbours—Kotas and Badagas (W. H. R. Rivers, The Todas). The use of slang as a secret language is recorded of the Sema Nagas (J. H. Hutton, Sema Nagas, 1921, p. 296), where the advantage of being able to irritate one's neighbours is associated with its value in trade, and in personal intrigue. Similarly of the Langos (J. H. Driberg, The
Lango) the secret language "consists entirely of different words for substantives but apparently the rest of the grammar and syn tax remains unchanged. The language is much used by lovers and is normally employed if it is desired to keep the conversation secret from others. It is widely distributed but whether or not it is confined to a group of initiates is unknown." Political conditions have often occasioned the use of secret languages (see BILINGUALISM) and in thieves' patter we have a rudimentary form.
See Hutton Webster, Primitive Secret Societies (r908) ; L. Levy Bruhl, Les fonctions mentales dans les societes iiiferieures (Iwo), trans. L. A. Clare, How Natives Think (1926) ; 0. Jesperson, Language (1922) .