English

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Etymology

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From crypto- (prefix ‘hidden; secret’) +‎ -lect (suffix denoting a language variety).[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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cryptolect (plural cryptolects)

  1. (linguistics) A secretive language form used by a subculture; an arcane cant. [from 1980s]
    Coordinate terms: antilanguage, argot, intalk, jargon, lingo; see also Thesaurus:cryptolect
    Cockney rhyming slang developed originally from the cryptolects of London’s thieves and vagabonds.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ cryptolect, n.”, in OED Online  , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2023; cryptolect, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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