Lingos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A set of specialized languages or jargon used by particular groups
2. The distinct vocabulary or manner of expression characteristic of specific professions or communities
3. A variety of speech or dialect that conveys unique meanings and expressions within a cultural or social context

Etymology: "Lingos" is the plural of "lingo," a word that began life as a plain synonym for language. Its root is the Latin "lingua," meaning tongue or language, to which English speakers added a diminutive ending, "-o," that gave it a casual, slightly playful tone. The result was a nickname for speech, as though a language were a small, informal version of the real thing. Over time the word narrowed. Rather than meaning language in general, "lingo" came to describe the particular vocabulary of a trade, a profession, or a social set, the jargon that outsiders find hard to follow. The plural "lingos" simply refers to several such specialized vocabularies at once, such as the lingos of sailors, programmers, or teenagers.

Synonyms: jargons, dialects