Once upon a time, people invented a language to express their thoughts. It soon turned out that this was not enough, and secret languages, or cryptolects, appeared. The purpose of cryptolects is to hide the meaning of what is said from strangers. Criminals use them so that the police do not understand them, teenagers - to discuss something in front of adults, priests - to make the sacraments even more mysterious. Strictly speaking, cryptolects are not languages at all, but rather special systems of vocabulary, word formation and spelling that are added to “real” languages, changing them beyond recognition.
Fenya
In Russia, cryptolects were used by different social groups: Trans-Volga fullers, wool-cutting artisans (they spoke the “Zhgon” language); Dahl described the language of St. Petersburg swindlers under the beautiful name “music” and argued that it was in it that the word “grandmothers” first appeared in a meaning that is still understandable today.
The most famous of the secret languages was the “Suzdal” language of peddlers, wandering traders. Under this name it was included in Peter Pallas’s “Comparative Dictionary of All Languages and Adverbs,” but we know better another name: Fenya or Ofenian dialect.
No one knows for sure where ofeni came from in Rus'. According to one version, these were Pontic Greeks who moved en masse to Russia in the 15th century. It is possible that borrowings from Modern Greek appeared in the hair dryer from there. Fenya borrowed even more words from Finno-Ugric languages; often the Ofeni replaced some Russian words with others, distorted them or simply made them up.
But the grammar in the hairdryer is almost Russian. Even without knowing that “Mas is running low - I’m telling you the Shurs wouldn’t touch me and won’t spoil the shivara” means “I’m afraid that thieves might beat us up on the way and take away our goods,” you can understand that you have to be wary of the Shurs, and if they touch you, it won't be good.
Lunfardo
It is the language of the lower classes of Buenos Aires, Montevideo and other cities in Argentina and Uruguay. Most likely, it originated from the slang of Italian and Spanish convicts, but along the way it acquired words from English, French and, of course, gypsy languages.
One of the main sources of Lunfardo vocabulary is Cocoliche, the Argentine dialect of Italian immigrants. True, when borrowing, not only the sound, but also the meaning of the words often changed: Fungi (mushroom) began to mean a hat, and vento (wind) - money.
To make the language even more incomprehensible, suffixes were added to the words (-etti, -ango, -ingui, -ula - a total of two dozen), which do not mean anything.
This is something like how Snoop Dogg likes to add the suffix -izl to words. Fo' shizzle! Another favorite technique is rearranging syllables. The Spanish calor (warmth) became lorca, mujer (woman) became jermu, and tango (tango) became gotán.
The Lunfardo language is closely related to the history of the favorite dance of Spanish bandits. The first songs in this style were written in a secret language, and the words from it became dance terms.
Polari
This word refers to several different dialects used by fairground and circus performers, street vendors, thieves, choir boys, and male prostitutes. Polari was a wild mixture of Mediterranean pidgin, gypsy languages, sailor's and thieves' slang, rhyming slang and backslang (when a word is pronounced backwards).
The general Polari vocabulary consisted of only two dozen words like “ik” (face) or “zhush” (beautify), other words differed in different versions. The dialects were so secret that a person who knew one dialect did not understand other dialects.
By the middle of the last century, polari almost disappeared, but immediately found a second life in pop culture. In the 1973 Doctor Who TV series, Bigfoot Vorg spoke in Polari; in the 1990s, a character named Danny the Street appeared in DC comics (he also spoke Polari, and he was also a thinking street). And David Bowie in the song “Girl Loves Me” sings in a mixture of English, Polari and Nadsat - it’s simply impossible to think of anything better.
Gyaru-moji
Many cryptolangs are a thing of the past, but gyaru-moji, on the contrary, has appeared before our eyes. Its name comes from a distorted English girl and is associated with the Japanese subculture of the same name.
Actually, gyaru-moji is a sophisticated way of writing words using different alphabets (even Cyrillic) and symbols, something like the English leet.
Japanese youth did the impossible: they came up with the most complex way to write already difficult Japanese words.
The main technique of gyaru-moji is to disassemble the hieroglyph into its component parts and write them down in some clever way. So おはよう (good morning) turns into 才（よчｏぅ - in Russian it would be something like “Δｏ6户Œ ¥丁ρ口”. It is possible to make out such script, but it is very difficult, especially since almost any hieroglyph in gyaru-moji is transmitted in different ways. Well, if you also use kogyarugo, gyaru slang, then only the most patient and dedicated will understand the message.
Sheng
This Kenyan cryptolang is the illegitimate child of Swahili (from which Sheng inherited grammar, syntax and some of the vocabulary) and English, with elements of Luhya, Kikuyu, Luo and Kamba (their proportions of influence vary in different parts of the country). The name appeared the same way: S from swahili, ENG from english and H in the middle - just for beauty.
Because of this multicolor, the vocabulary of Sheng is varied, but there are especially many words for such important concepts as mother (masa, mathe, mnyaka, mokoro, moda, mthama), girl (dame, mresh, supuu, msupa, manzi, shore, msusu, mroro) and “thousand shillings (thao, gee, kapaa, ngiri, ngwanye, ndovu, kei, muti, bramba).
The history of Sheng is no different from most secret languages (adjusted for an African flavor): at first it was used by street vendors and matatu drivers like Kafius “Van Damme” from the Sense8 series, but over time, Sheng was adopted by other social groups. There were musicians singing in this cryptolect, and even the name of the main African literary magazine “Kwani?” translated from Sheng as “What?” However, in general, this is a dialect of poor areas, and the Kenyan golden youth have Engsh - their own secret language, which grew from the same roots as Sheng.
How to invent your own secret language
- Borrow more roots from other languages; Hebrew and Romani are best.
- Come up with a dozen suffixes that won't mean anything: use them to make speech more difficult and incomprehensible.
- Rearrange syllables and letters. Short words can be pronounced backwards.
- Use some words instead of others. If two words rhyme, swap their meanings.
- Play some magic on your spelling: the more difficult it is to understand what is written, the better.
- If after all these manipulations you don’t understand yourself, you’ve succeeded.
A secret language is a language that no one can understand... not even the one who speaks it!
Kitten, specialist in secret languages
In the design of the article, frames from the cartoon “A Kitten Named Woof (the fourth story)” were used.
When your friend honestly admitted to you that she “confidentially” told about your breakup with your boyfriend Masha, and she, in turn, promised that not a single living soul would ever know about it, you just sighed with relief. It immediately became clear to you why, at your mutual friend’s birthday party, the girls who came with their boyfriends looked at you with very poorly concealed suspicion, jealously not letting go of their loved ones even a single step. The situation is definitely familiar to many of us. But keeping secrets is an art!
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Secretly around the world
It is possible that at first you will be angry with the very person who “secretly” revealed your secret to the whole world. Was it worth doing? Think for yourself: what would you really do in such a situation? It will probably be difficult for you to answer this question. After all, if you yourself could not keep YOUR secret, how can you demand the same from another person? And in general, was the information so valuable and secret to you? By the way, what really is the secret of all sorts of secrets that are surprisingly quick to spread?
As a rule, when we trust anyone with any of our secrets, we always run the risk that our chosen counterpart will spill the beans. And even more than that, according to psychologists, we are sometimes pushed into frankness by our subconscious desire to make sure that as many people as possible know about our problem. Therefore, demanding from a friend to “keep everything completely secret,” in most cases we are still disingenuous.
First of all, to yourself
One of the best and most proven ways to keep a secret has long been considered a simple rule: “don’t tell anyone anything.” But we should also remember that by solely possessing the information, we ourselves take responsibility for all the consequences. Sometimes the burden we simply choose becomes unbearable. If you continue to carry the “box of secrets” alone in the same direction, you can mentally “break down” and earn a nervous breakdown.
What still needs to be done to keep your nerves in order and not blurt out too much? You should think in advance about what exactly you should tell to whom. And, by the way, there is no need to burden your loved one with anything.
Secret materials
"Skeleton in the Family Closet"
Almost every family has its own secrets, as the saying goes: “Someone else’s family is a dark forest!” And as a rule, this secret most often “defames the family.”
"Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
Confessing your love is much easier than admitting that it has passed. A number of reasons force us to keep our feelings secret - fear of change, pity, self-interest, habit, and much more. As a rule, everyone here may have their own reason.
One remedy is effective here: if you are sure that nothing will work out with this man, admit it to him. He definitely has the right to know! And you have the right to respect for your honesty!
"Work moment"
They'll give it up! In any office there is that one person who takes it for granted to report everything to his superiors. Even by telling a colleague about your dismissal, you can make her feel obligated to ensure that he finds a replacement and that the company does not suffer.
"Here comes my ex..."
What you should remain silent about is intimate experience. But this topic is the most discussed in the bedroom. A man doesn’t start this conversation, afraid of comparisons, so it’s up to the woman.
“A friend brought up a problem”
It's nice when your friends trust you with their secrets. And sometimes it’s something that it’s better not to know about, for example, betrayal. It's one thing if you're glad she found someone better. It’s another matter if her current one is your good friend whose fate is not indifferent.
Ambulance
Your friend doesn’t know how to “keep her mouth shut,” and you accidentally told her secret.
The rescue: Asking her to never tell you anything is useless, just try to switch her attention to something else.
A friend entrusted you with a secret, and against your will you told a third party about it.
The rescue: Everything must be denied. You need to play it out in such a way that your interlocutor begins to doubt its authenticity. As a last resort, just repent to your friend. But it’s better to decide everything yourself.
A friend tells you secrets every day that you don't want to know.
The rescue: Give her a voice recorder and a psychologist's business card, otherwise you will become her constant "flush tank!"
Coming up with a good password is one of those paradoxical tasks that only seems simple. I see, I see, many grinned: they say, a newbie can be caught doing this, but we, having spent X years on the Internet, know what’s what! We were taught to put capital letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Alas, I must disappoint you: the durability of a “secret word” invented even according to these rules is most likely low - and today we will talk about why this happened and how to fix it.
But to find out and learn a useful lesson, let's turn not to scientific works, but to... a comic book. Here's the picture below from the popular site XKCD.com, considered a classic of the genre. It has been circulating for several years now, but not only has it not lost its relevance, on the contrary, it is becoming more and more important every day. Look. Here is a debunking of the myth about the strength of passwords generated using standard rules. Don’t be afraid of numbers and terms, I’ll explain everything now.
So what do we see? As an example, it is suggested to use the password “Tr0ub4dor&3”. This monster was obtained by distorting the English word troubador - in such a way that all standard recommendations were followed. There are at least 8 characters, there is a capital letter, there are numbers and a punctuation mark. Enter this password when registering on any site - and you will be allowed to use it without any questions: it seems to be quite complex, quite resistant to hacking, as experts would say.
How high is its durability? Let's estimate by counting the number of options that an attacker would have to try to randomly select such a password. In this case, all the letters of the English alphabet are used (26 pieces), plus capital letters (multiply by two), numbers (plus 10) and punctuation marks (of which, say, there are 20 more pieces). There are 82 possible symbols in total. Since the password consists of 11 characters and each character can be one of 82 characters, the number of possibilities is 82 to the power of 11. This is a gigantic number. Going through options at a speed of 1000 words per second, it would take an attacker billions of years to guess such a password!
Password strength can be assessed in another, “more scientific” way, using the so-called information entropy (also known as “measure of uncertainty”, also known as “information value”, but essentially the same number of options). As you know, a computer stores information in binary form, in the form of “bits” that can only accept the values 0 or 1. Let the letter “A” correspond to the combination 0000000, the letter “B” - 0000001, the letter “C” - 0000010, and so on . Thus, we only need 7 bits to encode each of the 82 characters. Since our password has 11 characters, its entropy is 7*11=77 bits. And the number of options that need to be tried to guess our password will be 2 to the power of 77 (actually a little less, because 7 bits can encode more than 82 characters). Which is roughly equivalent to the previous result: a huge number that defeats the purpose of trying to guess a password!
Forgive me for this immersion in mathematics, I don’t like it myself. But now we can move on to the next step: explaining why our password is actually not as good as it seems. But the point here is that a real burglar is not a stupid electronic counting machine. We assumed that the person who would “break” our password would not know exactly how we generated it. And this is very naive of us! Because anyone who has used the Internet, of course, knows what requirements a “good” password must satisfy. Therefore, instead of brute force options, he can do the following.
First of all, he knows that most Internet users are lazy and probably use some ordinary word for a password. The basic English dictionary contains about 60 thousand words. To number them in the same way as we numbered characters (by assigning each its bit number), we only need 16 bits for each word (16 bits are 65536 options). Thus, the real information value of a common English word (its entropy) is only 16 bits.
Further, the attacker also knows that the user will be forced to use capital letters in the password. But all because of the same laziness, most users will probably capitalize the first letter. Therefore, when guessing the password, you will need to try to replace the first letter with a capital one. This adds another bit to the entropy.
The burglar also knows that the letters “o” and “a” are often replaced with the numbers 0 and 4 (they are similar in spelling), so both “o” and the only “a” in the word “troubador” should be tried to be replaced with numbers. This will add three more bits to the entropy.
Finally, the attacker is aware that the user will be forced to use punctuation marks and numbers - but due to the same laziness, the user will prefer to put them at the very end. To encode all digits from 0 to 9, 3 bits are needed. For punctuation marks - 4 bits. And we also need to try to rearrange them, that is, plus one more bit.
This results in 28 bits of entropy. This is 2 to the power of 28 options. Even trying 1000 options per second (which is very modest: in fact, real brute force programs using a graphics card can check millions of times more!), such a password will be found in a few days.
However, in addition to being weak to hacking, the password “Tr0ub4dor&3” has another drawback: it is difficult to remember! The user will have to write it down somewhere, and most will again do it “unsafely” - for example, on a piece of paper pasted on the monitor. And this will further weaken the protection that seemed so powerful. What do we have in total? A weak password that is difficult to remember and gives the user a false sense of security. Terrible combination.
But what to do? Trust the mathematics - and maximize the entropy of the password. Which, by the way, constitutes the second part of the comic that we are deciphering. Here's the algorithm.
Firstly, it must be recognized that the attacker is probably aware of the password generation method. He knows by what rules we will come up with it. Therefore, there is no point in being cunning, inventing complex combinations of letters, numbers and punctuation marks. The only thing you can rely on here is length!
From here - Secondly: To maximize entropy, you need to come up with not a secret word, but a secret phrase! This way you can increase the length of your password several times in one fell swoop. However, keep in mind that the secret phrase should be meaningless, so as not to inadvertently make the hacker's task easier.
That's why, Thirdly: The words for the passphrase must be chosen randomly. Take a dictionary, select a few words at random (it’s even better to generate random numbers using any online generator, and then select words with corresponding numbers or at least from the corresponding pages) and make a sentence out of them. Randomness is extremely important here: if the words are not chosen at random, the cracker will be able to guess the algorithm for their selection and thereby radically reduce the hacking time. With random ones, he will have no choice but to try every possible combination.
How many options does he need to try? Easy to count. Even using the most popular English words, of which there are only a couple thousand (that is, 11 bits of entropy for each), and taking only 4 words, we will get a password whose entropy is 4*11=44 bits. Trying 1000 options per second, an attacker would have to work for hundreds of years to guess such a password! Meanwhile, it is extremely simple: the phrase, although meaningless, is easily remembered in the form of a scene. And there is no need for any tricks like register, numbers, punctuation marks, or substitution.
However, given that you need a lot of passwords, it would be a good idea to use a password manager: a special application that will save all your secret words and phrases. In this case, you will only have to remember one master password - actually, for this program.
P.S. The article uses illustrations by David, Dollie Mixtures, S3aphotography.
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Hello friends, today is already December, the snowless winter continues, it’s somehow strange, unusual. Okay, now I would like to return again to the topic of trust between people, and consider the question in more detail: what secrets and mysteries can you tell your loved one??
When people begin to meet, communicate and become close, over time they trust each other more, realizing that this person will be able to somehow support, help, and, perhaps, give valuable advice.
In my articles I have already written that In a relationship, you must completely trust your partner, otherwise, even the slightest doubt about the honesty of your soulmate will not give you peace in the future. And anxiety for the actions and deeds of your loved one will only grow and torment you more and more. I don't think you want this.
Now let's return to the question of the secrets that absolutely every person has, and which he prefers to keep silent. Is it worth sharing your most secret things with someone who is truly dear to you? And is it even necessary to remember the past in a new union?
Personally, I am in favor of the past must remain in the past, only if you were able to understand and fully realize your mistakes, having gained invaluable experience that you will never repeat. At the same time, no consequences of your actions in the past will in any way affect the present, much less the future. After all, you are not in church to pour out your soul and repent for possible sins. This information will only be superfluous and unnecessary, and if it does not particularly bother you, others do not need to know it at all.
It’s another matter if you have some secrets from your lover (or lover), which over time, subsequently, can be revealed and harm your marriage. For example, you dated a guy who chose the wrong path in life and went down the criminal path. He was imprisoned, but he did not lose feelings for you, unlike you, and lived in hopes that when he was released, he would be able to return to you. And you have a new, prosperous life with another person who does not suspect anything about it. But he simply must know about this information, for your safety and his own, I think you understand me.
This also applies to everything connected with it. Speaking about the present, naturally, you should not hide or conceal anything, even for the good. Otherwise, if it is revealed, it will seem like a lie and a lie, which, of course, will only harm your relationship. For me personally, the expression “white lie” is just a beautiful phrase and nothing more, but I have already mentioned this on my blog.
Ultimately, the choice is yours: what secrets or mysteries you decide to share with your other half. But remember, if you are not sure about a person or your feelings for him, then you shouldn’t talk about your secrets once again, because who knows how life will turn out.
P.S. And according to the established tradition, a new cool song about love at the end of the post from: Love Stories – Come Back. This song is in my favorite style, where a girl sings about a guy.
PHOTO Getty Images
Randi Gunther is a clinical psychologist, marriage counselor and author. Author of the bestselling book When Love Stumbles: How to Rediscover Love, Trust and Fulfilment in your Relationship. New Harbinger Publications, 2011.
In my practice as a therapist, I am faced with the fact that a lot of time must pass before a person begins to talk to me about the most intimate things: relationships in which he suffers, illnesses with which he has to live, painful episodes of childhood, sexual experiences or desires that burden him. . From all the stories I heard, I came up with the “Law of Unwanted Surprises.”
This means that any information that could cause pain to your partner should be disclosed as early as possible. This is the only way to prevent loss of trust in you if your loved one finds out the truth later and from other sources.
Step one. Tell me as soon as possible
You need to tell everything that anyone can, if they wish, find out about you themselves. Almost all of us, when meeting a new person, are interested in his profile on social networks or find data through search engines. We sometimes underestimate the amount of information that we can glean about each other: education, professional path, places in which we have lived, people we know, possible offenses. If you are uncomfortable revealing information about yourself, you can invite a new acquaintance to become friends on a social network. Let him know that you are ready to answer all questions.
It is necessary to open as early as possible anything that could cause harm or pain to your partner.
Your openness is just as important to a potential partner as what's behind your back. It is necessary to reveal everything that could pose a danger to him or hurt his feelings. Sexually transmitted diseases, the fact that you did not end a previous relationship, that you are in the process of divorce, that you had a romantic relationship with someone from your common close circle, the presence of children - all this your friend should find out as soon as possible and from your mouth. It is better for this to happen face to face, and not in correspondence, since the non-verbal signals that you send to him will be important to your partner. In addition, you will be able to more fully and sincerely answer possible questions.
Step two. Tell us in the very near future
As you get closer to each other, it is time to discuss things that may be affecting your relationship. It's about your plans, dreams, aspirations in life and what you plan to do to achieve them. It is important that both parties understand how they are going to plan the budget and whether they want children. If you are still hiding any of your addictions: alcoholism, gambling, bulimia, it is worth talking openly about it. And perhaps admit that you need your partner's understanding to keep you healthy. A truly close person will appreciate your sincerity and will not judge you.
Talk about where you see your relationship going in the future.
Talk about how you see your relationship in the future: would you like to get married, or are you closer to the form of a civil union. You may also admit (if true) that some of your desires have changed since you met your crush. However, you need time to determine the priorities that are important to you (parenthood, form of life together, and others). Of course, you have the right to expect the same frankness from your partner.
Step three. Tell me if you decide to connect your destiny with this person
It is important to describe your financial situation as honestly as possible. talk about hereditary diseases, rough edges that your partner will have to face when communicating with your relatives or with the father/mother of your children. At this stage, you already take responsibility for your relationship together and let the person know that you believe that your love will be stronger than any barriers.
Step four. What to keep with you?
We all have the right to private space. In this case, we are talking about that internal experience that does not directly affect your life today. These could be episodes of violence that you have experienced, homosexual experiences, sexual deviations. It is not easy for us to tell even a loved one about incest, especially if we still maintain a relationship with our parent. Some people find it difficult to admit professional failures or reveal episodes in which they did not show their best side, betraying someone's trust. If you are sure that you have dealt with the problem internally and that your secret will not affect your relationship or cause trauma to your partner, you have every right to keep your secret to yourself.