Polari

polari polāri English Alternative forms en Palare Palari Palarie Parlare Parlary Parlyaree Etymology en pld -, from en it parlare to talk. The loss of the first r and the changing vowel quality of the non-stressed vowels is due to the non-rhotic UK accent which reinterpreted the phonemes. The adoption of the infinitive form means that the word probably originated from a Romance-based creole or pidgin like en pml -. First use in English appears c. 1846, in the writings of Lord Chief Baron. Pronunciation en /pəˈlɑːri/ en LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Polari.wav Southern England Proper noun A cant used in the London fishmarkets, in the British theatre, and by the gay community in Britain, attested since at least the 19th century and popularised in the 1950s and 1960s by the camp characters Julian and Sandy in the popular BBC radio show Round the Horne. A cant used by travelling showmen in Britain. Usage notes Some authors, like Paul Baker, contrast en Polari and en Parlyaree, using the former for the gay cant, and the latter for the older cant of actors and circus and fairground showmen.Paul Baker, Polari – The Lost Language of Gay Men, Routledge 2003, passim Related terms en Parlyaree en polari Translations Gay community slang French: fr polari m Greek: el καλιαρντά n-p Polish: pl polari n Spanish: es polari m References