Rotvælsk was a secret language (also known as a cant or cryptolect) that was spoken in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

from

early modern times The early modern period is a historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There is no exact date ...

until the turn of the 20th century. Rotvælsk was also known under several other names. It is now

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

. Rotvælsk was used by a social group known as Natmændsfolk who did simple craftsmanship, demeaning and unclean work or panhandled to survive. Both the social group and the language changed through the centuries, but remained associated with crime, loose morals, poverty and low social status in the eyes of the surrounding population.Hansen, H.P., 1959. ''Natmændsfolk og kjæltringer 1'' 2. udg., Kbh. (tr. Skjern): Rosenkilde og Bagger. The social group and their language have often been confused with

Romani people {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

and the

Romani language Romani ( ; also Romanes , Romany, Roma; ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani people. The largest of these are Vlax Romani language, Vlax Romani (about 500,000 speakers), Balkan Romani (600,000), and Sinte Roma ...

, though they do not seem to have had a different ethnic origin than most Danes at that time. The language consisted of borrowed and/or distorted words that took the place of Danish words, while keeping the syntax of the speakers' Danish dialect. The language was probably used for secret communication in the presence of outsiders and to strengthen ingroup solidarity.Halliday, M.A.K., 1976. Anti-Languages. American Anthropologist, 78(3), s.570–584.

References

Extinct languages of Denmark Cant languages Extinct languages of Europe Unclassified languages of Europe {{Lang-stub

See also

References