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Re: Vietnamese vs English - noi lai and play languages
There is a Vietnamese play language (like Pig Latin or Dog Latin, for
English) called "noi lai" that involves exchanging parts of words (the
initial consonant of one word is combined with the tone, vowel, and final
consonant of another word, and the initial consonant of the second word
is combined with the tone, vowel, and final consonant of the first
word). Perhaps this was the case for the example offered earlier in this
discussion.
Do Vietnamese members of the list think of this form as somehow
identified with gay people? That is, are gay people (especially those
who might be described as queens or effeminate) supposed to be experts or
particularly skilled in using this play language? If you had to say what
are the characteristics of gay language among VNese men, how would you
describe it? If we assume that there are stereotypes of "queen talk"
among Vietnamese, what are those stereotypes?
This are serious questions, and I don't mean to offend anybody. The
earliest description of this form of play language (Cheon, 1905) says
that it was a special occupational language of (female) prostitutes and
"flower-boat singers" (i.e., entertainers who were also prostitutes).
But I wonder if it might also have been popular among a homosexual
underworld or counterculture, as a form of artistic speech or secret
language.
I'll be grateful for any thoughts.
Best,
Frank Proschan
<email>
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