COMMUNICATION FUNCTIONS OF SLANG AND CANT/ARGOT

Abstract

This brief overview deals with the definition of sociolects in Slavic and non-Slavic linguistics. It presents the historical development of slang and cant/argot research in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, as well as the similarities or differences in the definitions of basic terms. It pays attention to the classification of some facultative slangs from an exclusive environment (e.g. criminal). In the last decades, some slangs have been inappropriately characterized as argot. When classifying sociolects, the type of social environment and the social status of the person are often overestimated. Insufficient attention is paid to the communication functions of the sociolect in society and outside, the communication space and the communication potential of the sociolect. Attention is also paid to argot and its inappropriate definition as “the secret language of the low/excluded social groups”. In the case of argot, specific codes can only be identified by a member of a closed community who knows rules for the use of specific verbal or non-verbal codes. Argot may arise and exist in the environment where two antagonistic groups occur. Therefore, argot is not a language of low/excluded social groups, it only has a cryptic function. It is a discrete strategy shielding the communication goal and its occurrence is expected only in a small group of communicators. It has a low communication potential and a radius that is concentrated inside the community. The user of argot can potentially be anyone in any environment, regardless of the motivation for secrecy of communication.