Anti-language is a language created by subgroups to form bonds, keep activities secret, or rebel against society. It can involve corrupted versions of words or entirely new languages. Examples include secret cults, hooligans, and Pidgin English in Africa.
An anti-language is a language developed and spoken by a subgroup within a main group. The purpose behind developing an anti-language is varied. A subgroup may develop language as a means of forming a bond between members, as in a cult or secret society. Another purpose may be to prevent members of the outside society from understanding the meaning of the words spoken by the subgroup, as is the case with gang members. The purpose may simply be a means of rebelling against the dictates of a repressive external society.
Anti-Tongue can be used by members of a secret cult as a means of communicating with each other. Some of them can even develop a language that is understood only by cult members. This form of antilanguage is used by such underground members of an antisociety as a means of keeping their activities secret.
The words spoken by the subgroup and used to form the antilanguage are often corrupted versions of the words spoken by the main group. This can involve rearranging letters in words, inserting different inflections, or using a different intonation to speak a version of the language. It can also mean giving new meanings to ordinary words or creating a new language entirely from scratch.
An example of how anti-language can be applied can be seen in the language used by hooligans and street gang members. They may use different words to refer to something completely unrelated to the word. For example, they can refer to a gun as a banana or any other word of their choice. To any other person listening, it would appear that the gang member was simply referring to a banana. Other gang members would have known immediately that the person was talking about a gun.
Another example of using an anti-language is developing a corrupted version of a normal language. The development of Pidgin English in some African countries where English is the official language is a corruption of the language. This form of anti-language contains elements of the English language, but with other additions and improvisations. Any English speaker listening to a Pidgin version will have a hard time understanding what someone speaking the language is trying to say. The person may glimpse familiar words from time to time, but it would be difficult to make sense of the language.
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