For other adult languages though, the secrecy of the language may be a very important matter. For instance, back slang has been used by soldiers at war. Further, American slaves had many secret languages to help them keep everything from escape plans to covert education hidden from their masters. For example, references in spirituals to "the promised land" or "the flight from Egypt" were codes for the North and the Underground Railway. Slaves also developed Tut Language in order to secretly teach other slaves to read. For more information on this particular code, visit http://www.tutlanguage.com
While language games often get little attention outside of elementary school, they remain an important part of how we use language in society. Whether it be to cement bonds with playmates or to avoid capture by enemies, our linguistic creativity will continue to grow. For more information on secret languages, check out these sites and sources:
A Pig Latin Translation of the Bible http://www.well.com/user/earl/Ible-bay.h...
A Pig Latin Translator--just type in what you want translated and listen as your choice of robotic man, woman, or child recites it in Pig Latin. Brought to you by Bell Labs (hey, even they get to have some fun): http://www.bell-labs.com/project/tts/pig...
At your local bookstore or library, try these titles:
"An Introduction to Language" by Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman
"The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language" by David Crystal
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