The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-06-10
LANGUAGE OF CRIME.
THE ARGoT OF PARIS AND THE"PAT-
TER" OF LONDON.

Thieves Have Special Words to Express
Stealing of Every Kind = Material
F., Changes Take Place Every Two or
Three Years.
The language of criminals-the argot
of Paris, the 'patter" of London-has
been carefully investigated by numer-
Gus writer's, with very variant results.
Its origin is difficult to explain.
Criminals, say many authors, have
found it necessary to adopt a technical
language for their own protection, that
they may be able to converse in public
without being understood. "They have
been forced to do this and have made
language as sinister and as vile as them
selves. This theory cannot be admit
ted. Certainly the argot is sinister and
vile and thoroughly representative of
the class that uses it, but further than
this we cannot go.
The theory that the use of this dialect
is of any assistance to the criminal is
inadmissible. Most policemen and all
prison officers know this slang, some-
times better than the thieves. To speak
1t in the hearing of a detective is to in
vite arrest; to speak it in the presence
picion and attract attention-two things
which are especially to be avoided.
Why, then, does it exist? DR.. Laurent
Of the Sante prison in Paris has given
an explanation which has at least moth
ing to contradict it: The persons en-.
gagged in every trade form a species Of
dialect or technical phraseology which
is spoken and understood only by them
selves. Criminals, who practice trade
as old as any, have gradually acquired
language more adapted to their wants,
more in keeping with their ideas and
thoughts. Miserable. heartless, engaged
in perpetual struggle against moral
ity, law and decency, they have ac-
quired language of debased words and
cynical metaphors, language of abbre-
waited expressions and obscene syno-
nyms.
This dialect has mutilated the mother
tongue. 1t has also borrowed literally
from other languages. but without meth
cd or etymology. Criminals are not
grammarians. Neither are they lin
gusts, and at first sight it would seem
strange that they should import words
from other countries. We will find,
however, that in any prison the percent
age of inmates of foreign birth will be
large. In America it is about % per
cent. A foreign expression which seems
apt or an improvement on the one in
present use is rapidly diffused through
the 6prison. In cases where it is especial
ly descriptive it may become permanent,
but its life is usually short. The argot
of the crime class changes materially
every two or three years. 1t is ephem-
eral, as shifting as its users. Victor
Hugo exaggerates only slightly when he
says, "The argot changes more in ten
years than the language does in ten CEN
turies." Thus in the last three years
there have been three different terms
for watch-"super," "thimble'' and
"yellow and white'-each of which
was in its turn the only one used.
!, Every writer on the subject has no
ticed that the argot is rich in express
siCns to denote certain common actions
This is pecliarity shared by all primi-
tive languages, the only difference being
in the selection of the common acts.
Thus in Sanskrit there are nearly 100
roots which express the idea of killing
or wounding, without counting second
ary derivations. Some of these roots are
embodied in our language today. In the
dialect of the thieves there are hearty
100 expressions to signify theft. It was
necessary for the pickpocket to describe
the various pockets in mans clothing
and in woman's DRESS The average
man does not often need to specify q
particular pocket. When he does, he
lays his hand on it to assist the poverty
of his language. The thief has sepa-
rate name for each separate pocket.
But in spite Of this richness in syn
onyms, which is in itself marked sign
of degeneracy, for the tendency of a
language is to eliminate its synonyms,
giving to each different shade of
meaning, the argot is poor language.
1t has not single expression for alb
stract emotion. To attempt to render q
philosophic thought, moral emotion, a
synthetic or aesthetic idea into the dia-
lect of the thief would be like attempt
ing to translate electricity or "steam
engine" into Latin. 1t is impossible be-
cause the words do not exist. They are
not needed. The criminal has no more
conception Of abstract emotion than a
blind man has of color.
A fact which does not seem to ally
the argot to primitive language is its
ability to form additional words from
its own resources, power of self de-
velopment which we find in the old
Anglo-Saxon, and especially in the Ger
man of today. This trait is the more
striking as it seems in direct contradic-
tion to the impotence Of the English
language in this respect. The English
has little formative power. 1t relies on
the Greek and Latin languages for the
extension Of its vocabulary. "A. T. B.