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# Language games

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Language games are not technically artificial languages so much as heuristics for altering language, like a code. They are used primarily by groups attempting to conceal their conversations from others. Most common examples are: Pig latin, which is used all over the globe; Gibberish, prevalent mainly in the USA, and Verlons in France. Each of these "languages games" involves a usually simple standard transformation to speech, thus encoding it. The languages can be easily decoded by a skilled speaker, who swaps or removes the necessary letters or syllables.

A common difficulty with language games is that they are usually passed down orally. While written translations can be made, they are often imperfect, and thus spelling can vary widely. Some factions argue that words in these spoken tongues should simply be written the way they are pronounced, while others insist that the purity of language demands that the transformation remain visible when the words are imparted to paper. Contrary to what proponents of either side may tell you, there is no one definitive written lexicon for language games, but it is rather a matter of dialect. (see Pig Latin, Ubbi Dubbi).

Host Language | Game Name | Basic Rules | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---

Dutch: |  | reversed elements & words | mercantile code

English (etc.) | Pig latin | first consonant to end +ay |

English |  | ab inserted into syllables

English | bicycle | schwa ess after all consonants |

English | Cockney Rhyming Slang | canonical rhyming word pairs | trouble & strife = wife

English | eggegg langeggwagegg |  |

English | gibberish | insert "itherg" after each consonant |

English | Ubbi dubbi | insert "ub" in syllables | PBS show Zoom

English | yardle bardle |  |

English | zambuda |  |

French | Louchebem | inital consonant to end, +var. suffixes, prepend "L" |

French | Verlan |  |

German |  | "lav" inserted after some vowel sounds |

Hungarian |  | repeat vowel add "v" |

Italian | Latino Maccheronico |  |

Japanese | Ba-bi-bu-be-bo |  |

Mandarin | Fanquie |

Portuguese | Sima |  |

Portuguese | Linga do Pe |  |

Russian | Fufajskij yazyk |  |

Russian | porosyachia latin |  |

Spanish |  | "f" added to certain syllables

/Talk

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Last edited August 10, 2001 12:56 pm (diff)
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