Definition, development, etymology of criminal jargon and its place in subcultural area (historical and legal aspect)

Abstract

This article considers such a socio-cultural phenomenon as a criminal jargon and defines its nature. Sources and main directions of spreading of communicative attribute of criminal subculture – criminal jargon or a dialect of criminal society and definition of its nature are researched. Also, the problem of negative influence caused to society by jargon, where it is expanding during a long historical period is raised.

One of the central positions in criminal society is occupied by its language – «argot», or criminal jargon. By its nature this phenomenon is unique and placed in the dominant position with an important role in a criminal society. Conceptual essence of such a phenomenon as criminal jargon shouldn’t be limited by identifying it as a sociolect or a language of thieves, by means of which members of criminal society identify each other as a separated group on the contrary to law-abiding part of society.

Criminal jargon is a language which lexical and phonetic structures are used all over the criminal world. As a multinational phenomenon criminal jargon is conventional and absorbed by criminal society. In general, criminal jargon is volumetric, dynamic, its terminology is able to cross the borders of a certain group and seek its prevalence in the common usage.

Defined problematic do not lose its relevance both in the foreign and national researches and is devoted to determination of methods of insurances such as: neutralization and resistance to negative influence on society caused by counterculture and its main part – criminal jargon (argot).