View source for Bargoens

{{Short description|Form of Dutch slang}}
{{Italic title}}
'''''Bargoens''''' ({{IPA|nl|bɑrˈɣuns|-|nl-Bargoens.ogg}}) is a Dutch minority language, a form of [[Dutch language|Dutch]] [[slang]]. More specifically, it is a [[Cant (language)|cant]] language that arose in the 17th century, and was used by criminals, tramps and travelling salesmen as a secret code, like Spain's ''[[Germanía]]'' or French ''[[Argot]]''. It originates from [[Rotwelsch]] and [[Yiddish]]. It also has the [[Romanes]] word ''bink'', not meaning ''devil'' but ''spouse''.

However, the word ''Bargoens'' usually refers to the [[thieves' cant]] spoken between 1850 and 1950. The actual slang varied greatly from place to place; often ''Bargoens'' denotes the variety from the [[Holland|Holland region]] in the [[Netherlands]]. While many words from Bargoens have faded into obscurity, others have become part of standard Dutch (but are more often used in the "Hollandic" than in other Dutch dialects). ''Hufter'' (jerk), ''gappen'' (to steal) and ''poen'' (money) are examples of words now common in Dutch. As is the case for most thieves' languages, many of the words from ''Bargoens'' are either insults or concern money, crime or sex.

Bargoens has many [[Yiddish]] [[loanword]]s. Examples are ''sjacheren'' (to barter), ''mesjokke'' (crazy), ''ganneven'' (to steal), ''gabber'' (buddy, friend), ''grandig'' (great), ''hachelen'' (to eat).<ref>{{Cite book |title=Van Dale groot woordenboek der nederlandse taal |date=1992 |publisher=Van Dale Lexicografie |isbn=978-90-6648-411-5 |editor-last=Dale van |edition=12. - 13. uitg. |location=Utrecht |editor-last2=Geerts |editor-first2=Guido |editor-last3=Heestermans |editor-first3=Hans}}</ref>

The name of this cant is close to ''baragouin'', which means "[[jargon]]" in [[French language|French]]. It is supposed to have been derived either from the Breton words ''bara+gwin'' (bread+wine) or from ''Bourgondisch'' ('Burgundish', i.e. [the language] from Burgundy).

Many ''Woonwagenbewoners'' (indigenous [[Dutch Travellers]] and [[Romani People|Roma]]) used to speak this language as well.

==Examples==
{| class="wikitable"
|''apehaar''
|(bad) [[tobacco]]
|-
|''appie kim''
|OK
|-
|''bajes''
|[[prison]] (from [[Yiddish]] ''בית'', lit. "home")
|-
|''bekakt''
|snobbish, posh
|-
|''bollebof''
|[[manager]] 
|-
|''bisnis''
|business life, more specifically in prostitution 
|-
|''eisjedies''
|adultery
|-
|''gabber''
|friend (from [[Yiddish]] ''חבר'')
|-
|''gozer''
|young man (slang of ''[[Geuzen]]'')
|-
|''hufter''
|bastard
|-
|''lef''
|courage (Old German (van Dale))
|-
|''jatten''
|noun: hands;<br>verb: steal (from [[Yiddish]])
|-
|''penoze''
|underworld, organized crime (from [[Yiddish]] ''פּרנסה'')
|-
|''opduvelen!''
|bugger off!
|-
|''saffie''
|cigarette; in earlier days also cigar (from the [[Morocco leather]] used for cigar kokers) 
|-
|''smeris''
|policeman (from [[Yiddish]] ''שמירה'')
|-
|''temeier''
|prostitute (from [[Yiddish]] ''טמאה'')
|-
|''kassiewijle''
|dead, defect (conjugation of box and Dutch word wijlen=''the late'')
|-
|''toges/tokus''
|pump, anus (from [[Yiddish]] ''תּחת'')
|}

Also the [[nickname]]s of former [[Dutch guilder]]s were Bargoens:
{| class="wikitable"
|''spie''
|[[Cent (currency)|cent]]
|-
|''hondje, beisje''
|''[[dubbeltje]]'', 10 cent coin
|-
|''heitje''
|[[Twenty-five cent coin (Netherlands)|Twenty-five cent coin]] (from [[Yiddish]] ''ה'')
|-
|''piek, pegel''
|[[Dutch guilder|guilder]] 
|-
|''knaak''
|''[[Dutch rijksdaalder|rijksdaalder]]'' 
|-
|''joet''
|ten guilders (from [[Yiddish]] ''י'' )
|-
|''geeltje''
|twenty five guilders (lit. "little yellow one")
|-
|''meier''
|hundred guilders (from [[Yiddish]] ''מאה'')
|-
|''(rooie) rug''
|thousand guilders (lit. "(red) back")
|}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|last1=Endt|first1=Enno|last2=Frerichs|first2=Lieneke|title=Bargoens Woordenboek - Kleine woordenschat van de volkstaal|year=2011|publisher=[[Uitgeverij Prometheus|Bert Bakker]]|edition=1|isbn=978-90-351-3652-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Moormann|first1=Jules|last2=Sijs|title=De geheimtalen|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/moor012gehe02_01/|first2=Nicoline van der|year=2002|publisher=L.J. Veen|isbn=902-04-594-57}}
* {{cite book|last=Hauwermeiren|first=Paul van|title=Bargoens. Vijf eeuwen geheimtaal van randgroepen in de Lage Landen|year=2020|publisher=Uitgeverij Skribis|isbn=978-94-639-6916-1}}

== See also ==
* [[Grypsera]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cant languages]]
[[Category:Dutch words and phrases]]
[[Category:Languages of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Yiddish culture in the Netherlands]]