Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.22210/suvlin.2018.086.03

Speech play, gender play, and the verbal artistry of queer argots

Rusty Barrett orcid.org/0000-0001-7461-3553 ; University of Kentucky

Abstract

Th is paper presents a comparative study of argots (or secret varieties) used in communities marked
by non–normative gender or sexuality. A comparison of nine argots based in different languages suggests that the development of each of these argots involves large amounts of speech play. A variety
of patterns of speech play are analyzed, including cross–language play, play languages, morphological restructuring and innovation, and lexical substitutions within the local language. The importance of speech play in these communities is illustrated with the genre of mock translations in which familiar texts (such as Shakespeare or the Bible) are reproduced using argot. Th e results suggest that
speech play and verbal artistry are important and understudied elements of queer cultures.

Keywords

argot; speech play; verbal art; sexuality; gender; queer culture

Hrčak ID:

214238

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/214238

Publication date:

29.12.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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