One of the topics in a recent communication 101 lecture was verbal communication, and an example of exclusionary language that the lecturer cited reminded me of events that had happened way back when I was in primary school. The ‘F language’ (nothing vulgar) was used by many of the pupils in school to speak in code, preventing other people (mostly teachers, since the bulk of the student body was well versed in the language) from understanding what they were talking about. The ‘F language’ gradually evolved into many other forms, such as the ‘C and Z languages’. These languages are an example of argot, a particular language form that is used to prevent outsiders from understanding your conversations. Interestingly enough, author Victor Hugo was one of the first people to conduct research on argot in his novel Les Miserables.
Another language form is jargon, a type of exclusionary language that is used only among the practitioners of a certain field. Dancers, for example, are often heard rattling off names of exercises and dance steps when watching other people perform. Terms like releve, plie, grande jete and Pas de Deux must all sound quite foreign (indeed, since the terms are all in French) to an untrained ear, but to ballerinas, they make perfect sense, and are as much a part of their everyday vocabulary as other terms such as running, walking or sitting. Here is a link to a joke that serves as an excellent example of how the use of jargon can render a joke hilarious to some, while leaving others clueless as to what the whole joke is about.
One of the most intriguing forms of language is Taboo, in which different societies deem particular words unacceptable in polite company. Take for instance, most Asian families, who consider any sex related topic as taboo. This is because Asians believe in a more convservative society, while caucasian families are more likely to adopt a more open approach to their children’s sexual education. This is not to say that caucasians do not have taboos of their own. For example, the fact that Australia’s first immigrants were all English criminals is an extremely sensitive subject for most Australians.
Even in everyday life, taboo topics are avoided so as not to offend other people who may not feel comfortable discussing them. In school, the exam scores for a certain subject may suddenly become taboo if your conversation partner has done badly.
Exclusionary language should be used carefully, use it too often and it may result in the people around you feeling left out and alienated; use it too little and others may find you tactless and inconsiderate.
