Bargoens is a form of
Dutch slang. More specifically, it is a
cant language that arose in the 17th century, and was used by criminals, tramps and travelling salesmen as a secret code, like Spain's
GermanÃa or French
Argot.
However, the word "Bargoens" usually refers to the
thieves' cant spoken in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The actual slang varied a lot from place to place; often "Bargoens" denotes the variety from the
Holland region in the
Netherlands, especially
Amsterdam.
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