argot English · revision 1624

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɑːɡəʊ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɑɹɡoʊ/, /ˈɑɹɡət/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|argot]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) earlier “the jargon of Paris thieves” and before that “the company of beggars”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) a word of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Random House derives it from French ''argoter'' “to quarrel”,^(RHWU) and Gamillscheg suggested a link with Old French ''argoter'' “to cut off stubs in pruning”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The jargon or slang of a class of people, originally of thieves and rogues (1860).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word first named the secret language of criminals, used to disguise what they said.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) It has since widened to the special vocabulary of any profession or social group.^(RHWU)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1842 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1860 – the jargon of thieves and rogues.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A specialized, often secret, vocabulary used by a particular group, especially by [[criminal|alt=criminals]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The special vocabulary of a profession or social group; [[jargon]].^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cant]]

+ * [[slang]]

+ * [[lingo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}