How secret languages develop in closed societies

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/12/daniel_heller_roazen_s_dark_tongues_reviewed.single.html

by danielpal • 13 years ago

10 2 13 years ago

Let us converse is secret tongue of assembly, lest those higher language ruffians understand us. While article is somewhat interesting, I feel like it fails to emphasize important idea. Secret language is just one part of clan identity. Humans evolved on a planet where being alone is deadly, safety in numbers. We instinctively try to belong to a group. However hunting-gatherer groups needed to stay mobile, so until advent of agriculture no large settlements occurred. When looked at from this angle, secret language is just a sign of belonging to a particular `clan` in the jungle of larger society.

So to summarize one of the reasons people develop secret tongues is to establish identity of the clan. And one of the reasons people establish clans is because we evolutionary predisposed to. This is observed quite distinctly in aggressive/highly competitive environments such as prisons/schools/gangs.

cup• 13 years ago

When I was in Syria a few years ago we would have to talk in elaborate metaphors when discussing anything political (especially if it was in a negative tone). I suspect other HNers who have lived in closed states understand all too well how pervasive secret languages are in certain environments.

Surpsingly enough, ive noticed myself begining to rehash certain behaviours when talking to people in America or Europe because of an innate sense that the conversation is not private anything I say could be misconstrued under the appropriate conditions.

Its a real shame too because these environments which force us to calculate what we say often stifle innovation and creativity to the detriment of society.

How secret languages develop in closed societies

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