Bargoens
Encyclopedia
Bargoens is a form of Dutch
slang
. More specifically, it is a cant
language that arose in the 17th century, and was used by criminals, tramps and travelling salesmen as a secret code, like Spain's Germanía
or French Argot
.
However, the word "Bargoens" usually refers to the thieves' cant
spoken in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The actual slang varied a lot from place to place; often "Bargoens" denotes the variety from the Holland region in the Netherlands
, especially Amsterdam
. While many words from Bargoens have faded into obscurity, others have become part of standard Dutch (but are more often used in the Amsterdam dialect than in other Dutch dialects). Examples of words now common in Dutch: hufter (bastard), gappen (to steal) and poen (money). As is the case for most thieves' languages, many of the words from Bargoens are either insults or concern money, crime or sex.
Due to the large number of Jews who were travelling salesmen, and because of their position as relative outcasts, Bargoens has many Yiddish loanword
s. Examples are sjacheren (to barter), mesjogge (crazy) or jatten (hands, to steal).
The name of this cant is close to baragouin, which means "jargon
" in French
. It is supposed to have been derived from the Breton words 'bara' which means bread and 'gwin' which means wine or from 'Bourgondisch' ('Burgundish', i.e. (the language) from Burgundy).
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
. More specifically, it is a cant
Cant (language)
A Cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.-Derivation in Celtic linguistics:...
language that arose in the 17th century, and was used by criminals, tramps and travelling salesmen as a secret code, like Spain's Germanía
Germanía
Germanía is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails in Spain during 15th and 16th centuries. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation...
or French Argot
Argot
An Argot is a secret language used by various groups—including, but not limited to, thieves and other criminals—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job,...
.
However, the word "Bargoens" usually refers to the thieves' cant
Thieves' cant
Thieves' cant or Rogues' cant was a secret language which was formerly used by thieves, beggars and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries...
spoken in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The actual slang varied a lot from place to place; often "Bargoens" denotes the variety from the Holland region in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, especially Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. While many words from Bargoens have faded into obscurity, others have become part of standard Dutch (but are more often used in the Amsterdam dialect than in other Dutch dialects). Examples of words now common in Dutch: hufter (bastard), gappen (to steal) and poen (money). As is the case for most thieves' languages, many of the words from Bargoens are either insults or concern money, crime or sex.
Due to the large number of Jews who were travelling salesmen, and because of their position as relative outcasts, Bargoens has many Yiddish loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s. Examples are sjacheren (to barter), mesjogge (crazy) or jatten (hands, to steal).
The name of this cant is close to baragouin, which means "jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
" in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. It is supposed to have been derived from the Breton words 'bara' which means bread and 'gwin' which means wine or from 'Bourgondisch' ('Burgundish', i.e. (the language) from Burgundy).