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Jargon

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means specialized language used by a particular group or profession

Where does the word "jargon" come from? It comes from Latin garrire, passing through Old French before entering English (1650s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
garrire
Latin · ancient
"to chatter, prattle"
an echoic root imitating chattering sounds
2
Stage 2 of 3
jargon
Old French · 1100s
"a chattering; unintelligible speech"
applied first to the twittering of birds, then to unintelligible human talk
3
Stage 3 of 3
jargon
English · 1650s
"phraseology peculiar to a sect or profession"
narrowed to the specialized, hard-to-follow vocabulary of a trade or group
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