On the linguistic development of Irish Traveller Gammon-Cant (‘Shelta’) and other Gaelic-based argots

Abstract

This dissertation explores the historical development of the language of the Irish Travelling Community (Mincéirí, Pavees). Known variously as ‘Cant’ or ‘Gammon’, and termed ‘Shelta’ solely within academic circles, the compromise form ‘Gammon-Cant’ is adopted here. This language is spoken exclusively by members of the traditionally nomadic Travelling Community and is largely unknown within the ‘Settled’ population. Well-known, however, is that a significant portion of the Gammon-Cant lexicon emerged via the historical application of deliberate phonological alterations (‘metaplasms’) to existing Gaelic wordforms (e.g. Ir. mac ‘son’ ⪢ GC. cam, via consonantal transposition or ‘metathesis’). Such is typical of ‘argots’, distinct varieties of speech that pertain to speaker groups of restricted membership, while maintaining a structural relationship with the language(s) of the wider community. This dissertation provides a detailed re-assessment of the evolution of the Gammon-Cant lexicon and suggests that a historical chronology of metaplasmic alterations can be inferred from the available data. Its methodological approach also highlights the equally central role of non-metaplasmic, ‘regular’ sound change in the language’s formation. The study further investigates the relationship between the Gammon-Cant language and other Gaelic-based argots, with particular focus on the Beurla Reagaird of the indigenous Scottish Highland Travellers and the Béarlagair na Saor jargon of the Irish peripatetic stonemasons, arguing that a direct phylogenetic connection to Gammon-Cant is probable for the former, but not the latter. In terms of the language’s ultimate origins, this dissertation challenges ‘antique’ theories which allege that Gammon-Cant has its roots in medieval cryptological practices. It also contests ‘recent’ theories that endorse a late date of formation following the spread of Irish-English bilingualism in Ireland to account for its present usage of English-based morphosyntax. Employing principles of the Comparative Method of Historical Linguistics, this study argues that there is no clear evidence of either phonological archaism or scholastic influence in the historical development of the Gammon-Cant lexicon, as maintained by ‘antique’ origin theories. Instead, it proposes that the language was most likely formed in a purely oral setting, among speakers who had native fluency in an Early Modern form of the (Irish) Gaelic language. Adopting analytical models from the field of Contact Linguistics, this dissertation further argues that the English-based component of modern Gammon-Cant can be satisfactorily explained as a secondary development following prolonged language contact with English. Extensive comparison with other mixed languages and argots is made throughout, with a view to demonstrating that the Gammon-Cant language has undergone a structural shift (in both its phonological and morphosyntactic character) from primarily Gaelic-based to English-based. Such parallels further support the claim that Gammon-Cant fits comfortably within a wider typology of argotic speech.Celtic Languages and Literature