Polari

E370313

Polari is a British cant slang historically used by gay men and other subcultures to communicate discreetly and build community, especially in mid-20th-century London.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Polari canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf argot ⓘ
cant slang ⓘ
secret language ⓘ
sociolect ⓘ
associatedWith British gay culture ⓘ
LGBT history in the United Kingdom ⓘ
pre-decriminalisation homosexuality in the UK ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom ⓘ
culturalLegacy inclusion in LGBT history projects ⓘ
influence on British gay slang ⓘ
declineReason decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales in 1967 ⓘ
greater social acceptance of homosexuality ⓘ
documentedIn Bona Book of Polari ⓘ
academic studies of gay language ⓘ
hasLinguisticInfluenceFrom Cockney rhyming slang ⓘ
linked to: Cockney

Italian ⓘ
Romani ⓘ
linked to: Romani language

Yiddish ⓘ
sailors' slang ⓘ
theatrical slang ⓘ
hasNotableWord bevvy ⓘ
bona ⓘ
camp ⓘ
naff ⓘ
omi ⓘ
palone ⓘ
scarper ⓘ
trade ⓘ
vada ⓘ
zhoosh ⓘ
languageFamily English-based cant ⓘ
purpose community building ⓘ
concealing meaning from outsiders ⓘ
discreet communication ⓘ
status largely obsolete ⓘ
partially revived as cultural heritage ⓘ
timePeriodOfPeakUse 1950s ⓘ
1960s ⓘ
mid-20th century ⓘ
usedBy British subcultures ⓘ
circus workers ⓘ
drag performers ⓘ
fairground workers ⓘ
gay men ⓘ
male prostitutes ⓘ
members of the British gay community ⓘ
merchant seamen ⓘ
theatre workers ⓘ
usedIn England ⓘ
London ⓘ
linked to: London, England
writingSystem Latin script ⓘ
linked to: Latin alphabet

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Luma → notableMember → Polari ⓘ