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Thieves' Cant

Out-and-outer, bouncing buck / A deft fellow with queersome luck / Riding with the three moon knights.
The knight of the post, a bene cove / To all who dance upon the stove / And sample bandogs' delights.
The knight of the blade, Captain Hackum / Flailer of slowfoot's friend and rum / Ware, o ware the squabby wights!
And last, not least the knight of roads / He who shirks the business 'bodes / Lully priggers, no! says he/ And sails with the land pirates.- Aragonian Hopsong
Thieves' Cant is the name given to the rumoured code used among the vaguely defined criminal elements of society. Whether the rumour of the Cant or its existence came first is uncertain. Its existence in the present day is unquestionable, though the universality of any single Cant is real only in the stories of bards and the uninitiated. The Cant varies from region to region, perhaps even between groups of Cant users. Common to most cants is an oblique vocabulary based on rhymes and nonverbal signals. The lexicon of a cant is built by its users.

  There exist several 'dictionaries' of cant words in the world. Each dictionary claims to be an authoritative reference, though none contain more than a hundred or so words, with the majority of these words clashing with its fellow compendiums of Cant. These publications puff their pages instead with colourful examples of usage, anecdotes and ribald illustrations. A common thread among these dictionaries is that they neglect any substantial mention of the non-verbal element of the Cant. This omission has lead to a general belief among the uninitiated that the non-verbals are of negligible importance.  
"Oi, you know why they call it a cant, right, kiddy?"
"No, mister, I don't rightly know."
"Because Ah can't understand it. Now get back to work."
— Overheard on a Fidiran Dock
 

History and Present Usage

Few linguistic historians have braved the Cant. The scant works addressing its origins trace its first recording to an Imperial Rumain court proceeding, in which a city guard gave an account of 'a strange and unusual way of speech among the itinerant men of troubling morality'. The Ereb and Anatoian canon of tales have many references to codes used by outlaws that may predate this case, such as The Green Hood, or The Robin of the Wood and Barber Ali and His Forty Good Men. The difficulty of paring away the original story from changes is a significant one, however, and has caused several historians to age prematurely. Few dare walk these forbidden, accursed pathways.

Present usage of Cant is scattered across the world. Many clutches of criminals, from cut-purses to killer-for-hires have their own version of Cant. It is likely that organised crime syndicates have their own lexicon, and this may influence the smaller bands of rogues within. From accounts and from speculation, genuine Cants are closely-guarded. Initiates into rogue rings will be taught only Cant they must know. As they prove their trustworthiness and worth, they learn more Cant, perhaps adding to the language of the region.  

Regional Variations

Not all Cants use rhymes. The Vralsk version, known locally as Peddler's Imperial, drops certain phonemes and rearranges syllables. An old common cypher used among people of the sea -- Shipman's Lymian added an 'op' after every consonant.
A Colourful Collection of Cant Quotes and Their Meanings

"The Cull wapt the Morts Bite." The fellow enjoyed the woman briskly.

"The rattling cove is fly." The guardsman is aware of us.

"You'll be scragged, ottomised, and grin in a glass case." You will be hung, cut open, and your skull will be displayed in a glass case.

"Shut your bonebox or I'll give you a wherrit cross the chops." Close your mouth, or I shall punch it.


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Author's Notes

This article draws heavy inspiration from real-world Thieves' Cant and related languages. Sources for the interested: Hart, Stephen (2013). 18th Century and Regency Thieves' Cant. | Grose, Francis (1811). The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. | Bailey, Nathan (1737). The Canting Dictionary. | An easily searchable list of terms derived from Grose's work is provided by Shaun Hately here. Mind that the dictionaries are very much a product of their times. Queerphobia, racism and sexism are all present among the words and their definitions.
For the further interested, the following Wikipedia pages: Satrovacki, a Slavic cant. | Rotwelsh, a cant of Germany and Switzerland.


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