Polari - The Lost Language of Gay Men

Routledge Studies in Linguistics

by Paul Baker

Polari is a secret form of language mainly used by homosexual men in London and other cities during the twentieth century. Derived in part from the slang lexicons of numerous stigmatised and itinerant groups, Polari was particularly popular among actors and gay men in the Merchant Navy. Initially used in order to maintain secrecy, Polari was also a means of socialising, acting out camp performances and reconstructing a shared gay identity and worldview among its speakers. This book examines the ways in which Polari was used in order to construct 'gay identities', linking its evolution to the changing status of gay men and lesbians in the UK over the past fifty years. Social explanations for Polari's decline are given, as well as an analysis of the ways in which it has been adopted and modified in the 1990s by newer groups of users. A Polari dictionary is included in the appendix. Essential reading for students of queer studies, this book will also be of great interest to scholars of sociolinguistics, anthropology, cultural studies and media studies.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Linguistics, LGBT, Language, Queer

Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

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Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and even though it’s relatively old (the most recent pop culture reference is the UK Queer as Folk!), it’s really concise, well-referenced, and nicely written. I’d love to see an updated version. The linguistic history of Polari was of particular interest to me, but I think it’s accessible enough to be of general interest, not just a scholarly audience.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is both fun and academic. I wonder if calling Polari a language is overstating things a bit? (the author seems to be saying so). The history of the origins of some of the words reveal a lot of influence from other sources such as back slang, London slang, cant, and the language of the theatre (with quite a bit of Italian influence); also, US slang, some of which arrived during the war. Some of the words in the lexicon at the end of the book are not specifically "secret" gay words at all. Some perceptive comments on language death (further subdivided as "language murder" and "language suicide") and some interesting LGBT history. If the author were looking for a further source for camp language and linguistic quirks he might like to consider the language in use at various Anglican theological colleges in the 1970s and 1980s.
Bona.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating subject, presented in a readable way despite being academic. I wish there was more known about Polari, either here or in other research, but I suppose it's a bit late to capture the full picture of its usage. The people who used it in its prime simply aren't around anymore. Still, there's a lot of interesting information and analysis in this book.