黑话 (hēi huà) — thieves' cant; argot used by criminals or underground groups; jargon; specialized language meant to exclude outsiders
Definition
Specialized 'in-group' language — jargon or cant used to keep outsiders from understanding. The focus is on its secretive, exclusive nature, not just technical vocabulary.
noun
thieves' cantargot used by criminals or underground groupsjargonspecialized language meant to exclude outsiders
Examples
- 黑话。Jǐng chá tīng bù dǒng tā men de hēi huà.The police couldn't understand their secret language.
- 黑话。Zhè xiē jiāng hú hēi huà zhǐ yǒu lǎo shǒu cái míng bai.Only the veterans understand this underworld cant.
- 黑话。Měi gè háng yè dōu yǒu zì jǐ de hēi huà.Every industry has its own jargon.
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