Standard Lemma guide

cryptolect

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɹɪptə(ʊ)lɛkt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: krĭpʹtəlĕkt'
  • General-American: /ˈkɹɪptəˌlɛkt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A secretive language form used by a subculture; an arcane cant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • Cockney rhyming slang developed originally from the cryptolects of London’s thieves and vagabonds.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From crypto- (prefix ‘hidden; secret’) + -lect (suffix denoting a language variety).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ծածկալեզու (cackalezu) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Catalan: criptolecte — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Dutch: geheimtaal — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Esperanto: kriptolekto — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Esperanto: kaŝlingvo — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Esperanto: sekreta lingvo — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Finnish: salakieli — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • French: cryptolecte — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • West-Frisian: kryptolekt — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • West-Frisian: argot — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • West-Frisian: geheimtaal — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • German: Geheimsprache — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Hebrew: שפת סתרים — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Japanese: 符牒 (fuchō) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Korean: 변말 (byeonmal) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kryptolekt — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skjulespråk — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: løyndespråk — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: løynspråk — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Persian: زبان رمزی — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Portuguese: criptoleto — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Portuguese: argot — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Portuguese: língua secreta — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Romanian: limbaj secret — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Russian: арго́ (argó) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Slovene: latovščina — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Swedish: kodspråk — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Ukrainian: криптоле́кт (kryptolékt) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Ukrainian: арго́ (arhó) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant
  • Ukrainian: кант (kant) — secretive language form used by a subculture — see also cant