cryptolect

American  

[krip-tuh-lekt, krip-toh-] / ˈkrɪp təˌlɛkt, ˈkrɪp toʊ- /

noun

plural

cryptolects

1. Linguistics. a particular variety of a language that is used only by members of a specific social group or subculture, often deliberately kept secret to exclude outsiders.

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Example Sentences

But it could be considered a cryptolect: a secretive exclusive language, designed to exclude, in this case, oiks.

From The Guardian

It can also help conceal criminal activity or frowned-upon behaviour, making it a cryptolect – a secretive language used to confuse and exclude others and affirm the character of a marginalised subculture.

From The Guardian

Calunga, an Afro-Brazilian cryptolect spoken only by men, preserves a large number of Bantu-derived words brought to Brazil by slaves from Angola.

From Slate

In a study of a cryptolect spoken on an island off the coast of Panama, the linguist Michael Aceto made a list of occasions when it was used: by children, to exclude their peers; by students, to conceal things from their teachers; by parents, who wanted to communicate privately in front of their children; and by locals, who didn’t want to be understood by outsiders.

From Slate