1.
Cant is a term generally used to describe secret languages (cryptolects) used by
gypsies, thieves, and others who have a need to communicate freely without necessarily conveying their meaning to a wider audience. An example of a cant language which has been introduced widely into the mainstream is the homosexual
Polari language which was used extensively in the
BBC radio series
Round the Horne during the
1960s.
2. The Cant is a term used sometimes specifically to refer to Shelta, (alternatively known as Sheldhu), the cryptolectic Goidelic Celtic language of Irish Travellers.