You might think that gibberish is some secret gibberish or something a 2 month old baby might say, but in reality, it's a "secret language" that some people use, either for the sake of secrecy or for fun. If you want to join this conversation, pay attention (and read!).
Step
Method 1 of 2: Studying the Style
Step 1. Understand the process
Gibberish is an umbrella term for nonsensical language that is difficult to understand, such as baby language. However, all of the available variants use the same pattern: Words that make no sense are inserted into each syllable as they speak. The same nonsense is used over and over again, so the words become much longer and they all sound similar.
Pig Latin is a pseudo-language which is another way of speaking in passwords. This language is a bit more general and easier to infer
Step 2. Break the word into "spoken" syllables
Generally, each syllable in a word contains one vowel. Here are some examples of words and syllables:
- Tree: Tri
- Bottle: Bot / tle (pronounced tel)
- Symmetry: Sym (sim) / me (meh) / try (tri)
Step 3. Add "-othag-" before each vowel in a syllable
If the word only has a consonant (example: "I"), add it in front. Either 1, 2, or 3 consonants at the beginning, add before the first vowel sound. The result will sound like this:
- tree: tr othagee
- bottle: b othagot/t othagle
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symmetry: s othagym / othaget / r othagy
For words like street, remember to combine the consonants together (these are all still one syllable). This word, in gibberish would be pronounced as "str othageet."
Step 4. Resist the urge to repeat the vowel sound
If you're going to say the word "hi" in gibberish, it can be very tempting to pronounce it as "hi-tha-gi," instead of "h o-tha-gi." Don't do it! It will be difficult to translate the meaning if you add a different vowel sound.
- "My name" is not "mi-thag-eye nay-tha-game," but "m o-tag-eye n o-tha-game."
- "-Othag-" has the same initial sound as "other" (not "open"), in case you were wondering. In IPA phonetic writing, this is called schwa, or /ə/. Think of the result as the grumbling of a caveman.
Method 2 of 2: Become Fluent
Step 1. Say different words to yourself while walking around
If you're having trouble, say one syllable at a time slowly and repeat until you can pronounce it quickly. Do the same when saying phrases. Start with simple words first, for example, "snake coiling (over the fence)". This exercise will be very useful and will help you speak very quickly. However, it's a good idea not to repeat these kinds of words in public or around other people, or you might be thought to be in a trance. However, if this isn't a problem for you, feel free to do so.
Step 2. Teach this to friends because it will be very useful when spending time with children
You can tell them you're going to buy ice cream or go to the movies, or buy gifts around the kids without getting them interested. You can also use this language to talk about mature and important things with your friends.
Step 3. Repeat, repeat, repeat
In the end, this can actually make you bothagosothagan. You'll get more and more confident, and soon you'll move on to phrases and sentences. Look around the room. What objects do you see?
Is there a kothagursothagi? Maybe kothagasothagur? Or kothagompothagutothager? How fast can you translate the words in this secret language? What letter sound makes you stutter?
Step 4. Be faster
After practice, the words will begin to flow from your mouth. Try reading aloud the words on this page in gibberish. How fast can you translate? Are you ready for a sentence?
- "My name is": Mothagy nothagame othagis [yothagour nothagame hothagere]
- "How are you today?": Hothagow othagare yothagou tothagodothagay?
- "Yes, I can speak gibberish, how could you tell?": Yothages, othagi cothagan spothageak Gothagibbothagerothagish, hothagow cothagould yothagou tothagell?"
Step 5. Experiment with variations
This language has many variants, and it is highly recommended that you create your own -- even if no one will understand you. Regarding the inserted sound, here are some possible variants (which already exist):
- "-idig-": "Go" becomes "gidigo."
- "-uddag-": "Go" becomes "guddago."
- "-uvug-": "Go" becomes "guvugo."
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"-othag-": "Go" becomes "gothago."
"-Othag-" is the most difficult to pronounce quickly from the list above (the tongue distance when pronouncing "th" and "g" in the mouth is further than "d" and "g" or "v" and "g", hence the word takes a fraction of a second longer to pronounce). Once you increase your speed on the word "-othag-", the rest will be very easy (mothagudothagah!)
Step 6. Practice
Get out some old children's books and read aloud in gibberish. Keeping three syllables to a minimum (how did you do Gothagibbothagerotagish above?) is key. If you find children's books easy, it's time to impress your friends!
Hopefully you can convince a friend to do this together. What's the point of speaking code language if you can't exchange confidential information in front of other people? Or, maybe you have friends who have done this and you just don't know. Jothagadothagi, bothagertothaganyothagalothagah
Step 7. Use your strengths wisely
Now that you are able to say whatever you want in front of everyone, don't abuse this ability. After a few phrases, you'll sound like the guy who keeps saying French words for everything. People may get irritated, especially if you don't say what happened. If you want, you can teach them your way, but it might be more fun to see first if they can figure it out.
Hold it until you are really confident saying it. Speaking gibberish can be impressive if you do it earnestly and confidently. Just like any other language, you have to practice it often. Or your tongue will go numb and you will stutter
Tips
- Keep in mind that many versions of gibberish are slightly different. You may need to learn a new gibberish dialect if you want to communicate with certain people. Fortunately, one version is generally applicable to another.
- "Egg-Language" is another variation with the different insertion of the word "egg" in each syllable. Take a hike = T(egg)ake (egg)a H(egg)ike. Remember to pronounce each separate syllable the way you normally pronounce it, and not as it is spelled. The sentence above sounds like Boondock Saints.
- In Northern England, a popular variation of -idiga- is -iviga- (also referred to as reverse slang in Irish), thus turning "dog" into "-divigog-" and so on.
- Try to compose your own language based on gibberish !
- You can also add "off" to the end of each consonant or consonant combination: Engloffishoff: English. Sounds like Sean Connery, right?
- Another variation is to put the letters "-ib-" before each vowel. For example: "hello" would become "hibellibo."
- Other languages can also be changed to gibberish languages. Swahili is a good example because most words don't have consonants. The letter added is "~rg~". Asking for a glass of water in normal Swahili is "Nataka maji". In Swahili gibberish, the result is "Natargaka margaji". You can try the same technique in other languages.
- The gibberish language in Sweden is Rövarspråk (the language of robbers). In that language, you repeat each consonant in the word, so that "good" becomes "ggoodd", then add an "o" between the consonants, "gogoodod". eg. Hohanonodod: hand and coclolotothohsose: clothes.
- The Australian version, Alibi, uses a "lab" in the middle of each syllable, and the vowels are repeated, or resounded, but all vowels must be sounded correctly, otherwise you will confuse other speakers. So, for example, food: foolabood, stove: stolabove, dog: dolabog, cat: calabat, and so on.
Warning
- Don't tell anyone you can speak gibberish if you don't want other people to speak the same language. If they knew, they would search online and find this page!
- Remember, you shouldn't say stupid things like Ned Flanders 'diddly', otherwise people will get your point or think you're unoriginal.
- Just slowly. If you talk too fast, people won't get the point. But if it's too slow, everyone will get your point.
